Ed
Martin
expected
to
be
the
U.S.
Attorney
in
D.C.
in
this
administration.
Unfortunately,
even
the
Republican-controlled
Senate
found
the
January
6
cheerleader
too
irredeemably
stupid
to
trust
with
safety
scissors,
let
alone
one
of
the
most
important
prosecutorial
offices
in
the
country.
While
Trump
made
up
new
rules
to
keep
nominees
like
Alina
Habba
in
office,
that
wasn’t
political
capital
the
president
was
willing
to
spend
on
Martin.
And
so
Eagle
Ed’s
tenure
as
interim
U.S.
Attorney
closed
and
all
he
had
to
show
for
it
was
an
ethical
misconduct
complaint
for
using
his
position
to
drop
charges
against
his
own
former
client,
a
series
of
insane
threats
against
Democratic
lawmakers,
and
a
written
record
that
he
may
not
understand
basic
English
grammar.
With
this
sterling
resume,
Trump
pivoted
and
found
a
new
job
for
Martin
that,
conveniently,
didn’t
involve
Senate
confirmation!
As
head
of
the
DOJ’s
unintentionally
accurately
named
“Weaponization
Working
Group,”
Martin
has
ignored
the
implied
“anti-”
prefix
and
launched
himself
into
efforts
to
punish
Trump’s
personal
grudges.
In
taking
on
the
job,
he
even
said
the
quiet
part
out
loud,
admitting
that
he
planned
to
use
the
DOJ
to
harass
the
president’s
enemies
even
if
there’s
no
legal
basis
for
it.
“If
they
can
be
charged,
we’ll
charge
them,”
Martin
explained,
correctly
describing
his
job
and
the
ethical
rules
governing
the
institution.
“But
if
they
can’t
be
charged,
we
will
name
them…
in
a
culture
that
respects
shame,
they
should
be
people
that
are
ashamed.”
Which
is
how
blackmail
works.
Martin
has
predictably
flopped
on
the
first
part,
but
relishes
the
second.
One
of
his
targets,
New
York
AG
Letitia
James
—
whose
sin
was
proving
that
the
Trump
Organization
engaged
in
hundreds
of
millions
of
dollars
worth
of
business
fraud
—
recently
found
Martin
dressed
like
Inspector
Gadget
outside
her
Brooklyn
home.
Martin
has
opened
a
grand
jury
inquiry
into
James,
suggesting
she
committed
mortgage
fraud.
That’s
generally
not
a
positive
sign
for
a
serious
investigation.
Nor
is
this…
Abbe
Lowell,
representing
James,
had
written
Martin
to
chastise
the
bumbling
prosecutor
for
playing
amateur
gumshoe
outside
the
James
home.
Remember
that
this
administration
went
bananas
when
the
media
pointed
out
that
Kristi
Noem
lived
in
a
publicly
owned
residence
designated
for
a
government
official
(though
not
Noem…
she’s
just
seized
the
Coast
Guard
chief’s
assigned
house)?
Apparently,
taking
pictures
sufficient
to
identify
a
private
building
is
fine
if
the
official
is
a
Democrat.
Martin
used
the
appearance
as
part
of
an
exclusive
story
with
the
New
York
Post
given
that,
as
foreshadowed
by
his
remarks,
he
knows
he
can’t
charge
anyone,
so
he’s
desperate
to
make
this
a
media
circus.
In
a
hit-dog-will-holler
moment,
Martin
wrote
back
accusing
Lowell
of
“using
the
media
to
argue
[his]
points,”
and
demanding
the
lawyer
“redouble”
efforts
to
keep
letters
from
leaking.
The
letter
was
then
leaked…
probably
by
Martin’s
office.
There
is,
of
course,
no
reason
why
a
potential
defendant
would
have
to
keep
a
letter
that
they
wrote
to
the
DOJ
confidential.
In
ordinary
times,
the
DOJ
might
try
to
keep
the
grand
jury
investigation
confidential,
but
Martin
has
plastered
its
existence
everywhere
because,
again,
he
understands
that
this
is
bogus
and
all
a
shaming
exercise.
But
the
target
can
do
whatever
they
please.
But
this
is
the
true
coup
de
dumbass:
At
this
time,
Letitia
James
would
best
serve
the
“good
of
the
state
and
nation”
by
resigning
from
office
to
address
the
issues
in
the
referral.
Her
resignation
from
office
would
give
the
people
of
New
York
and
America
more
peace
than
proceeding.
I
would
take
this
as
an
act
of
good
faith.
“Aw,
be
a
pal
and
resign,
eh?”
It’s
the
apotheosis
of
the
“blackmail
over
law”
mentality.
If
a
prosecutor
believed
someone
committed
mortgage
fraud,
the
case
isn’t
resolved
by
the
offender
resigning
a
wholly
unrelated
job.
This
is
just
a
hustle.
That
he’s
now
begging
James
to
resign
—
without
an
indictment
in
hand,
mind
you
—
screams
of
comic
desperation.
It
also
underscores
the
strength
of
the
Jack
Smith
cases
against
Trump.
Lengthy,
non-public
investigations
to
respect
the
defendant’s
rights,
real
warrants,
an
indictment…
it’s
just
a
lot
easier
to
get
a
prosecution
going
when
the
target,
you
know,
actually
committed
crimes.
Martin’s
not
enjoying
the
same
succeess.
As
they
say,
“when
people
tell
you
who
they
are,
trust
them.”
Martin
declared
from
the
outset
of
his
new
role
that
he
intended
to
use
the
Justice
Department
to
harass
people
who
didn’t
commit
crimes.
He’s
done
it.
And
he’s
going
to
continue
to
do
it,
even
after
Lowell
tells
him
to
pound
sand
and
the
grand
jury
refuses
to
indict
James.
Martin
will
continue
taking
abusing
the
DOJ
for
petty
vengeance
kicks
unless
something
is
done
to
change
his
calculus.
Here’s
a
fun
project
for
Democratic
hopefuls:
promise
to
waive
qualified
immunity
for
cases
against
Trump
DOJ
officials.
Pledge
that,
if
elected,
those
targeted
by
Martin’s
nonsense
can
bring
claims
against
him
for
violating
their
rights.
These
weaponization
projects
depend
on
sniveling
rats
like
Martin
hiding
behind
qualified
immunity
to
shield
their
official
abuses
from
accountability.
Presidents,
theoretically,
can’t
do
this.
Qualified
immunity
is
a
scrivener’s
error,
but
to
the
extent
it
carries
legal
weight,
it’s
a
statutory
defense
recognized
by
the
courts.
But,
hey,
I
hear
it’s
all
the
rage
to
assert
that
“Article
II”
means
the
president
wields
complete
discretionary
authority
over
the
management
of
the
executive
branch!
To
the
extent
qualified
immunity
is
justified
at
all,
it’s
based
on
the
idea
that
the
law
enforcement
mission
needs
the
benefit
of
the
doubt
to
make
mistakes
from
time
to
time
—
that
sounds
like
a
benefit
the
DOJ
as
an
institution
should
have
the
power
to
exercise…
or
not.
The
future
Democratic
administration
doesn’t
get
involved
in
going
after
Trump
officials,
they
just
stay
out
of
the
way
as
individual
victims
of
the
administration
pursue
civil
cases.
Perhaps
a
futile
threat
that
the
courts
would
ultimately
reject.
But
Martin’s
whole
project
is
based
on
the
idea
that
the
threat
of
a
lengthy,
expensive,
if
ultimately
fruitless
case
is
a
risk
in
itself.
Maybe
it
could
shame
Martin
into
dampening
his
zeal
for
these
frivolous
legal
threats.
Though
it
would
depend
on
Martin
being
smart
enough
to
understand
the
risks,
and
there’s
not
much
evidence
backing
that
up
so
far.
Earlier:
Ed
Martin
Pledges
To
Use
DOJ
To
Harass
People
He
Can’t
Actually
Prosecute
Trump
Dumps
Ed
Martin
In
Favor
Of
‘Shit
Sandwich
Senate
Will
Eat’
Interim
DC
US
Attorney
Earns
First
Professional
Misconduct
Complaint
On
The
New
Job
Trump
US
Attorney
Doesn’t
Understand
Constitution,
Basic
Grammar
Joe
Patrice is
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A
Lawyer.
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