Former Jan. 6 prosecutors urge probe into interim U.S. attorney for D.C. reviewing Jan. 6 charges

A group of former Jan. 6 prosecutors and Republican attorneys urged the federal appeals court in Washington to probe President Trump’s pick for U.S. attorney in D.C.

The issue, in their eyes, is that Ed Martin is reviewing his office’s handling of Jan. 6 prosecutions, suggesting he is using his position as interim U.S. attorney to probe Mr. Trump’s political rivals.

In a letter sent Monday to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel at the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the Republican attorneys and former Jan. 6 prosecutors through the Society for the Rule of Law organization urged an ethics investigation into Mr. Martin.

The letter suggested Mr. Martin has threatened investigations and prosecutions into Mr. Trump’s critics, like the law firm Covington & Burling, which gave legal advice to special counsel Jack Smith. Mr. Martin reportedly posted on X for the firm to “Save your receipts … We’ll be in touch soon. #NoOneIsAboveTheLaw.”

The letter also suggests he threatened to prosecute anyone impeding the work of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

“Mr. Martin’s investigations into perceived opponents of this administration do not appear to be coincidental,” the letter read. “In a since-deleted post on Twitter (X) copied below, Martin wrote that ’[a]s President Trumps’ [sic] lawyers, we are proud to fight to protect his leadership as our President and we are vigilant in standing against entities … that refuse to put America first.’”

“Mr. Martin’s client is not President Trump; it is the United States,” the group said.

Mr. Martin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In addition to reviewing his office’s handling of Jan. 6 prosecutions and the use of a failed obstruction charge, Mr. Martin is also looking into media leaks, according to reports.

Other news outlets have reported Mr. Martin is also probing former President Joseph R. Biden’s preemptive pardons issued to his brother James Biden and his wife. The day before leaving office, Mr. Biden pardoned his siblings and other members of his family for crimes committed since 2014 through Jan. 19, 2025, a blanket pardon without specific offenses identified.

Democratic lawmakers, like the former Jan. 6 prosecutors, have launched an ethics complaint against Mr. Martin.

Sen. Richard J. Durbin, Illinois Democrat, filed a complaint over Mr. Martin’s alleged review and communication with Jan. 6 defendants and their prosecutions after taking his new job.

In a letter last month to the same Office of Disciplinary Counsel, Mr. Durbin and other Democrats on the Judiciary Committee requested a misconduct investigation into Mr. Martin for continuing to communicate with previous Jan. 6 clients and defendants.

They also say he is chilling federal employees’ constitutional rights by requiring Jan. 6 prosecutors to identify themselves and hand over documents related to the cases involving an obstruction charge that was shot down by the Supreme Court last year, which is the focus of Mr. Martin’s review of those failed prosecutions.

Mr. Martin was tapped as interim U.S. attorney for D.C. by Mr. Trump in January. He has experience litigating conservative causes and previously served as chair of the Missouri Republican Party.