Trump Nominates Ed Martin, Jan. 6 Defender, as Top DC Prosecutor

President Donald Trump announced Monday that he’ll nominate Edward Martin Jr. as the top federal prosecutor in Washington, according to a post in Truth Social.

Martin has served as Interim US Attorney for the District of Columbia since Trump’s inauguration. Early in that role, Martin fired assistant United States attorneys who had prosecuted individuals involved in the Jan. 6, 2020 Capitol riot.

Prior to his appointment, Martin defended individuals accused of participating in the attack. He also helped support the “Stop the Steal” movement to overturn the 2020 presidential election, according to the US House committee that investigated the attack.

Unlike many previous individuals who have led the office, Martin has never served as a prosecutor or federal judge.

He’s a longtime Missouri politician who served as the head of the Missouri Republican Party. According to his Department of Justice biography, he’s also worked as an attorney in private practice and held senior positions at the Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund, a conservative advocacy group founded by activist Phyllis Schlafly. Along with Schlafly, Martin co-wrote a book entitled, “The Conservative Case for Trump.”