“President Trump appointed Ed Martin as Pardon Attorney and Ed continues to do a great job in that role,” a DOJ spokesperson told the Washington Examiner.

The working group was formally established on Feb. 5 last year by Attorney General Pam Bondi as part of a broader effort to “restore the integrity and credibility of the Department of Justice,” according to an internal memo distributed to all DOJ employees.

The group was tasked with reviewing whether federal law enforcement and regulatory agencies had pursued investigations or enforcement actions during former Attorney General Merrick Garland’s tenure for political or otherwise improper purposes, rather than legitimate law enforcement objectives.

According to the memo, the Weaponization Working Group was directed to examine a wide range of matters, including actions taken by former special counsel Jack Smith, federal coordination with New York prosecutions involving Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James, the FBI’s internal memo linking traditional Catholic groups to violent extremism, Jan. 6–related prosecutions, and enforcement of federal protest laws. The group was also instructed to provide quarterly progress reports to the White House.

Martin’s role as director of that group placed him closer to DOJ leadership than his pardon attorney post, which is housed in a satellite DOJ office building and traditionally focuses on reviewing clemency applications rather than overseeing investigative reviews.

During his time leading the working group, Martin had advocated accountability related to high-profile investigations and prosecutions of Trump. The DOJ last year indicted two high-profile political rivals of the president, including James and former FBI director James Comey, though the cases were dismissed when a judge found that the prosecutor handling the cases was improperly appointed.

Martin’s rise inside the department has been atypical. He had no prior prosecutorial experience before being appointed interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. His nomination to permanently hold that role later failed in the Senate, after which he was reassigned to his dual roles as pardon attorney and leader of the Weaponization Working Group.

BONDI QUIETLY INSTALLS EX-WHITE HOUSE LEGAL AIDE STUART MCCOMMAS AS DOJ CHIEF OF STAFF

CNN reported that Martin’s removal from the working group amounted to a demotion and cited a source who said he is expected to leave the DOJ in the coming weeks. The department declined to comment on any possible departure.

Martin did not respond to a request for comment.