WASHINGTON — President Trump said Friday afternoon that U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin is leaving his administration for an outside legal position centered on election-related battles ahead of the midterms and the 2028 presidential race.
Martin, 56, had also been at the helm of the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group, where he led internal reviews of Biden-era prosecutions targeting Trump. He was additionally involved in advancing a criminal inquiry into New York Attorney General Letitia James over alleged mortgage fraud.
“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,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
“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!”
Martin has been widely understood to have a complex dynamic with newly confirmed Attorney General Todd Blanche, who won Senate approval on Aug. 8. Still, both men have publicly maintained that they hold respect and admiration for one another despite any disagreements.
During his time as pardon attorney, Martin oversaw Trump’s sweeping clemency actions for people charged or convicted in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Trump, however, also took the unusual step of issuing pardons and commutations to numerous individuals who sought relief outside the traditional process.
Alice Johnson, whose prison sentence Trump commuted during his first term, continues to serve as the White House pardon czar.
