Trump Says Ed Martin Is Leaving DOJ to Fight Election Legal Battles
President Donald Trump announced Friday that Ed Martin will leave the administration and move outside government to fight legal battles connected to upcoming elections.
Trump said Martin will focus on the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 presidential race. Martin has served as the U.S. Pardon Attorney and led the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group. He also previously served as acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
Trump praised Martin’s work and said he expects him to keep fighting for election integrity and constitutional rights.
“Ed Martin has been with me from the very beginning, and done an incredible job as an Attorney, Director of the Weaponization Working Group, and the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia.
Ed is now leaving to go outside to fight Legal Battles for the upcoming Midterm Election, and the Presidential Election of 2028. I know he will do an outstanding job, ensure Free, Fair, and Honest Elections, and strongly advance our Constitutional Rights. Good luck Ed! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
The Justice Department also outlined Martin’s background. The department said he was appointed U.S. Pardon Attorney on May 14, 2025, and was selected by Trump to lead the Weaponization Working Group.
“Edward R. Martin Jr. was appointed the U.S. Pardon Attorney on May 14, 2025. He was also named by President Donald J. Trump to serve as the Director of the Weaponization Working Group for the Department of Justice. He previously served as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia where he led the office responsible for prosecuting local and federal cases in the nation’s capital,”
The DOJ said Martin is a New Jersey native and a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, the Pontifical Gregorian University, and Saint Louis University, where he earned his law degree.
“Martin, a New Jersey native, is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, where he completed an Indonesian Studies program while studying abroad in Indonesia, the Pontifical Gregorian University, where he interned on the personal senior staff of Pope John Paul, II and Saint Louis University, where he received his J.D.,”
Martin has faced criticism from the left since Trump appointed him interim U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. That position is now held by Jeanine Pirro.
He is also facing ethics charges tied to a letter he sent to Georgetown University Law Center regarding its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. Martin sent the letter last year while serving as interim U.S. Attorney. The D.C. Bar later threatened him with sanctions over the matter.
The DOJ pushed back against the case, accusing the bar of targeting Trump administration officials while ignoring alleged misconduct by attorneys connected to prior Democratic administrations.
“The DC bar’s attempt to target and punish those serving President Trump while refusing to investigate or act against actual ethical violations that were committed by Biden and Obama administration attorneys is a clear indication of this partisan organization’s agenda,” a statement from the DOJ to CBS said.