Former federal D.C. prosecutors sign memo opposing Martin as D.C. U.S. attorney

Top D.C. authoritative orders arguable demotions

Acting U.S. lawyer successful D.C. stirs contention with Justice Department demotions implicit Jan. 6 02:07

Nearly 100 erstwhile employees and prosecutors for the U.S. Attorney's Office successful Washington, D.C., person signed a memo opposing President Trump's nominee to pb the office.  

The memo is the latest effort by critics of acting D.C. U.S. Attorney Ed Martin to halt his Senate confirmation for the imperishable role, which is among the astir almighty national authoritative positions successful the country. The missive was signed by a radical of erstwhile prosecutors who served successful the D.C. U.S. Attorney's Office crossed 7 decades, nether administrations from Lyndon B. Johnson's done Joe Biden's. 

The memo, a transcript of which was shared with CBS News, called for the rejection fo Martin's nomination.

"There is simply a clip erstwhile we each are called to basal for the afloat and just medication of justness and the regularisation of law," the memo says. "For those of america who person served successful the Office of the United States Attorney and inactive person a breath, that clip is now. And the connection we talk is, cull — outright and wholly — the projected nominee. Whether our connection is futile oregon not, it is an look of our conscience and a substance of rule that we present with each of the spot that we tin muster."

Martin began serving arsenic interim U.S. lawyer for D.C. hours aft President Trump's inauguration and was soon nominated for the Senate-confirmed post. 

His information has been a flashpoint of contention since the opening of the Trump administration. Martin lacks immoderate prosecutorial experience, served arsenic an advocator successful the "Stop the Steal" question denying the 2020 predetermination results, worked arsenic a defence lawyer connected Jan. 6 Capitol riot cases and fired immoderate of the lawyers who prosecuted Jan. 6 defendants.

Senate Democrats person blasted Martin's selection, with Sen. Adam Schiff, a first-term California Democrat, calling Martin unqualified and unsafe for the relation of U.S. attorney. Schiff has placed a hold connected Martin's nomination, seeking to dilatory down the confirmation process.  

Schiff and different Senate Democrats person besides requested a confirmation proceeding beryllium held for Martin's nomination, which — if approved — would beryllium the archetypal confirmation proceeding for a U.S. lawyer nominee successful 40 years.

Some of the radical of astir 100 erstwhile adjunct U.S. attorneys who are lobbying against Martin's information told CBS News they cognize they indispensable marque inroads with Senate Republicans connected the Judiciary Committee. 

Dan Toomey, who served successful the U.S. Attorney's Office from 1968 to 1971 told CBS News the radical of erstwhile prosecutors has yet to unafraid a gathering with Republican Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa.  

"We person talked to Sen. Grassley's unit and we person besides talked to Senator John Kennedy's staff," Toomey said. We had a half-hour gathering with them."

Toomey acknowledged the Republican senators are apt the lone firewall to halt Martin's confirmation and said securing the backing of immoderate of those senators is "really important and truly our lone hope." 

Charles Work, a erstwhile national authoritative who worked astatine the U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C. successful the 1970s and signed the memo opposing Martin, said the bureau is struggling nether Martin's interim leadership.   

"The morale is gone," Work said. "People are hiding from assignments. They don't cognize what to do. They don't cognize whether to resign."

In their recently released memo, the erstwhile prosecutors argued, "(Martin's) refusals to admit the legitimacy of the 2020 statesmanlike predetermination and the illegality successful the behaviour of 1600 individuals who overran the constabulary and the Capitol connected January 6, 2021, causing carnal harm to dozens and perchance irreparable harm to the instauration of antiauthoritarian governance are successful and of themselves disqualifying. As well, these misbehaviors are cues to wherever the nominee volition spell if ceded the presumption of United States Attorney."

Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican who would ballot connected Martin's information successful the Judiciary Committee, did not straight reply erstwhile helium was asked Monday if helium has immoderate concerns astir Martin's nomination. Cornyn said, "His information is inactive pending successful beforehand of the Senate Judiciary Committee, truthful we'll beryllium dealing with that soon, I imagine. But truthful far, he's serving simply successful an acting capacity, and we'll woody with his information precise soon."

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