DOJ Nominee Dodges Dozens Of Senate Questions

April 29, 2025 Extremists, Trump Administration

NBC News reports:

Ed Martin, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia on a permanent basis, dodged questions about his views on Jan. 6 and his prior criticism of Republican politicians in written answers to the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of his confirmation process.

Martin, a longtime conservative activist who became a “Stop the Steal” advocate after the 2020 election, was named by Trump as acting U.S. attorney in D.C. on Inauguration Day. Senate Democrats as well as career federal prosecutors have raised alarms about Martin’s nomination to the post, citing his lack of experience, his past controversial comments and the politicized approach he has taken since taking over the job on an interim basis.

Ahead of the May 20 deadline, when Martin’s interim status will expire, some of the questions sent by Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee seemed specifically designed to pick off Republican votes. The questions pointed out that Martin has called for primary challenges against GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John Curtis of Utah, and has criticized Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, claiming they enriched themselves during their service in government.

The Washington Post reports: 

Sen. Dick Durbin (Illinois), the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said in a statement that in answering roughly 500 written questions by committee members, “Mr. Martin makes a number of false statements that are easily debunked and dodges at least 80 questions outright,” such as by stating he did not “recall” answers more than 39 times.

Among questions Durbin posed was whether Martin had seen photos of Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, a pardoned Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot defendant, posing as Hitler while wearing a short mustache. Martin called Hale-Cusanelli “an extraordinary man and extraordinary leader” at an awards ceremony put on by Martin’s nonprofit group on Aug. 14 at Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Durbin also asked Martin how many times he had interviewed Hale-Cusanelli. “Once in June of 2024,” Martin responded. “I do not recall interviewing him again afterward,” Martin said, according to a 113-page document submitted to the committee. A copy of the document was obtained by The Washington Post.

Last week Martin sent threatening letters to multiple science and medical journals, accusing them of anti-conservative bias. Earlier this year he threatened to prosecute reporters for naming DOGE employees.



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