Ed Martin Leaves DOJ for 2026 and 2028 Election Legal Battles
Updated
Updated · abcnews.com · Aug 21
Ed Martin Leaves DOJ for 2026 and 2028 Election Legal Battles
3 articles · Updated · abcnews.com · Aug 21
Summary
Trump said Friday that Ed Martin is leaving the Justice Department to work outside government on legal fights tied to the 2026 midterms and 2028 presidential race.
Martin had been serving as DOJ pardon attorney after his temporary run as U.S. attorney for Washington ended in May 2025 when he failed to win enough Republican support for Senate confirmation.
That later role drew controversy: he backed disputed clemency recommendations and publicly suggested reviewing pardons Joe Biden issued to family members and aides before leaving office.
Martin also faces a January 2026 D.C. bar ethics complaint alleging he threatened to withhold federal funding from Georgetown Law and tried to derail scrutiny of his conduct as U.S. attorney.