Ed Martin, Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, speaks at a press conference on May 13, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Craig Hudson | Washington Post | Getty Images
Justice Department attorney Ed Martin has been removed from a controversial effort aimed at investigating and prosecuting President Donald Trump’s political opponents, multiple media outlets reported on Monday.
Martin, a participant in the Stop the Steal election conspiracy movement who held several Justice Department positions during President Trump’s second term, will now primarily work as a pardon attorney for the United States, MS NOW reported, citing three people familiar with the matter.
Sources told MS NOW that Martin’s role has been narrowed following a long-running feud with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
The New York Times further reported, citing sources, that Martin is considering whether to leave the Justice Department, possibly to take a job in the White House. CNN reported that Martin is expected to step down within the next few weeks.
Martin did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment. “President Trump has appointed Ed Martin as his pardon attorney, and Ed continues to do an excellent job in that role,” a Justice Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
The Washington Post also reported on Monday that Martin will no longer work at the Justice Department’s Washington headquarters. Officials told CNBC that Martin will work out of a building known as 2CON in the northeast part of the city.
President Trump had nominated Martin to be U.S. attorney in Washington, but withdrew him from consideration after bipartisan opposition.
Mr. Martin later became head of the Justice Department’s so-called Weaponization Task Group, where he was accused of circumventing prosecutorial norms and aggressively using the department’s investigative powers against President Trump’s enemies.
The media reported that he would no longer serve in that role.
