Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee convened behind closed doors this week to discuss their concerns regarding Ed Martin’s nomination and whether senators should take the extraordinary step of holding a hearing on it, as controversies mount around President Donald Trump’s choice to be the US attorney for Washington, DC.
Tuesday’s senators-only meeting comes as Republicans are under increasing pressure to choose between supporting Trump and ignoring the Martin scandal or defying the president’s choice for DC’s top prosecutor. On May 20, Martin’s term as acting US attorney comes to an end.
Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, stated that he has “serious questions” with Martin’s nomination because of his prior remarks disparaging police officers who protected the US Capitol during the attack on January 6, 2021.
Tillis shared some of his worries with other members during the Tuesday meeting. “I let everyone know there that I’m completing my due diligence,” he said.
Tillis said the meeting’s goal was to talk about how to respond to the Democratic demand for a hearing on Martin. As early as Thursday, Democrats might compel a vote on the issue.
Individual hearings are normally not required for US attorney appointments, and Tillis stated that he thought Republicans agreed in the private meeting not to support one due to worries that it might establish a precedent.
Tillis stated that he is still determining his ultimate stance on the nomination and that he intends to meet with Martin. However, he stated that if Martin had been chosen to represent a different jurisdiction, it would be simpler for him to support him.
In reference to January 6, Tillis stated, “I’m talking about somebody who wants to be [US attorney] in the jurisdiction where that event and future events could possibly occur. And I’m going to have to get some pretty fulsome responses for me to feel comfortable with this nomination.”
In 2024, Martin accused two cops who protected the Capitol on January 6 of perhaps lying and said they “appear to have lied” about being “mistreated” in his podcast.
Martin accused former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and former DC Police Officer Michael Fanone, whom he referred to as a “fake cop” on social media in 2024, of fabricating their versions of the attack.
Top Justice Department officials, who had preferred another candidate for the job, have had to caution Martin about some of his public activities since taking office.
The selection is “controversial,” according to GOP Sen. John Cornyn, whom Martin once called “soft” for backing a bipartisan gun safety bill. However, the Texas Republican responded, “I’ll share those at the appropriate time,” when questioned him about his worries.
Although the South Carolina Republican stated separately that “there were some things that were left out of his filings that I want to look at,” fellow Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Lindsey Graham stated that he was unsure if Martin’s candidacy was in doubt.
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Senior Justice Department officials have had to warn Martin about some of his public actions since he took office, as they had favored someone else for the position.
Trump and Martin’s allies have stated unequivocally that the president is now extremely pleased with Martin’s work performance.
In an effort to bolster support, Martin and his supporters have persisted. According to someone briefed on the situation, he has visited Capitol Hill in recent weeks to meet with senators.
If Martin’s candidacy makes it to the Senate floor for a final vote, his prior remarks disparaging Republicans may also work against him.
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He doesn’t “want to be petty” about whether he supports his nomination, according to Sen. John Curtis, whom Martin called a “supposed Republican” and a “traitor” for voting to prolong the Equal Rights Amendment’s ratification deadline.
The Republican from Utah, however, expressed his doubts about Martin’s credentials and expressed the hope that a hearing would be held to interrogate him by his fellow Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“I hope they do,” Curtis remarked. Many of these inquiries would be thoroughly examined there.
That would be beneficial.
Martin stated in recent written answers to the Senate Judiciary Committee under oath that he could not recall ever disparaging a policeman hurt while protecting the Capitol on January 6. Martin declined to categorically state that violence occurred that day in the same text.
Martin attended Trump’s address at the Ellipse outside the Capitol on the day of the attack and has defended a few of the January 6 rioters.
