Schiff, who was the first to place a hold on Martin’s nomination on April 1, helped rally opposition to U.S. Attorney nominee for first defeat of a Trump nominee before the Judiciary Committee
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement after President Donald Trump said today that he will be withdrawing Ed Martin’s nomination to serve as permanent U.S. Attorney (USA) for the District of Columbia:
“Over the past four months, Ed Martin has abused his position as interim U.S. Attorney to advance a dangerous agenda that places the president’s personal interests above those of the public, tramples the rule of law, and puts our democracy at risk. He is unfit to serve in public office.
“That’s why I put a hold on his nomination and made clear I would use every tool at my disposal to oppose his confirmation. Ed Martin has opened political investigations where there was no evidence to warrant them. He has dismissed cases against his own clients and demonstrated the most profound conflicts of interest. He has fired, demoted and forced the resignation of dedicated professionals who refused to go forward with his unethical edicts and those of others in the department. Scrutiny of Martin’s past also exposed his embrace of avowed antisemites, his undisclosed appearances on Russian state media, and his support for violent January 6th insurrectionists.
“Ed Martin is unfit to practice law, let alone serve as a United States Attorney. I will be watching closely to see whom the President nominates next to serve as the U.S. Attorney for D.C. And I will keep working to ensure that the January 6 deniers are not confirmed to positions from which they can undermine our rule of law and threaten our democracy. The American people deserve a Justice Department that is devoted to justice.”
Background:
On April 1, Senator Schiff announced his hold on Martin’s nomination, calling him someone who “embodies Donald Trump’s personal weaponization of the Justice Department.”
Schiff also joined Judiciary Committee Democrats in pushing for a hearing on Martin’s nomination and filing a misconduct claim against him with the D.C. Bar Association.
###