It’s not exactly a secret that congressional Democrats see Ed Martin, the interim Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., as an outrageous and scandal-plagued figure whose nomination to a permanent position is indefensible. To date, however, no congressional Republicans had come to a similar conclusion.
This week, as NBC News reported, partisan concerns about Martin became bipartisan concerns.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he has ‘serious questions’ for Ed Martin, Trump’s pick to serve as the top U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C. Martin, a long-time Trump ally, became a known ‘Stop the Steal’ advocate after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and represented Jan. 6 defendants who faced criminal charges for their actions that day. He has fired over a dozen federal prosecutors who worked on Jan. 6 cases in his time serving as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
Asked if he will support Martin, the North Carolina Republican told NBC News, “I’m not going to say I’m a no now, I’m going to say, I’m concerned with some of his public comments, and particularly on January 6th.”
It’s worth noting for context that Tillis is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is divided 12-10 between Republicans and Democrats. If Tillis ends up balking at Martin’s nomination, it would almost certainly mean the hyper-partisan prosecutor would not have the support needed to advance.
A day later, Sen. Dick Durbin, the ranking member on the Judiciary panel, planned to force a committee vote on Martin’s nomination, but the Illinois Democrat backed off — after Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa conceded that he and other GOP members are also seeking additional information about the former far-right activist and Trump loyalist.
“I feel strongly that Mr. Martin has not been honest and forthright in his disclosures to this committee, and as we’ve investigated his background, he is not qualified for this job,” Durbin told reporters. “I do my best to cooperate with the other side, particularly when it appears that they’re sharing my concerns,” the Illinois Democrat added.
These developments on Capitol Hill come on the heels of a “Statement of Conscience and Principle” signed by more than 100 former federal prosecutors who worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and who insisted that Martin is unfit for the position.
It also dovetails with Martin’s written answers to the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of his confirmation process, which included evasive answers about his views on Jan. 6 and his prior criticism of Republican politicians.
For those unfamiliar with the Missouri Republican, Martin’s “greatest hits” package features misguided and unnecessary fights with the dean of Georgetown University’s law school, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, former President Joe Biden and Democratic Reps. Robert Garcia of California and Eugene Vindman of Virginia — and that’s before one adds Wikipedia and prominent medical journals to his increasingly bizarre list of targets. During his brief tenure, Martin has also: In a piece for New York magazine, Elie Honig recently described the lawyer as Trump’s “dangerous and ridiculous prosecutor.” Martin seems to be going out of his way to prove his many critics right. What’s more, the calendar is of increasing relevance: If Martin isn’t confirmed by May 20, his interim appointment expires, and he’ll have to be replaced at the U.S Attorney’s Office. Watch this space. This post updates our related earlier coverage.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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