Senate Judiciary Democrats call for investigation of acting US attorney in DC

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee filed a complaint against Ed Martin, the interim US attorney in the capital DC.

"We write to express our grave concern about actions taken by Edward Robert Martin, Jr. that may constitute professional misconduct under the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct," committee Democrats led by Sen. Dick Durbin, wrote in a letter on Thursday.

In the letter to the DC Bar’s disciplinary counsel, the senators said Martin "has abused his position in several ways, including dismissing charges against his own client and using the threat of prosecution to intimidate government employees and chill the speech of private citizens."

"When a government lawyer, particularly one entrusted with a leadership role in the nation’s foremost law enforcement agency, commits serious violations of professional conduct, it undermines the integrity of our justice system and erodes public confidence in it," they wrote.

While in private practice served as defense counsel in several cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, the senators said Martin personally submitted a motion to dismiss the eight felony counts and two misdemeanors against Joseph Padilla, and he "created an impermissible conflict of interest and appearance of impropriety by using his new government office to favor his client."

There is also evidence indicating that Martin has communicated directly with January 6 defendants who were not his clients, they stressed.

In the letter, the senator said Martin has made numerous extrajudicial statements that threaten prosecution "with the apparent intent of intimidating government employees and chilling the speech of private citizens."