Adam Schiff Places A HOLD On President Trump's Nominee for U.S. Attorney in D.C.

Democrat Sen. Adam Schiff announced that he is placing an indefinite hold on President Trump’s nominee for U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C.

President Trump had nominated Ed Martin, the current Acting U.S. Attorney for D.C., for the permanent role as top federal prosecutor in our nation’s capital.

Schiff claims that Ed Martin, who is currently leading a large-scale investigation into threats against DOGE employees, has “abused” his power.

Here’s Adam Schiff’s full announcement on X:

BREAKING: I'm placing a hold on President Trump's nominee for U.S. Attorney in DC.

For the past few weeks, Ed Martin has been a one-man wrecking ball. Threatening opponents, firing public servants, and using his office to chill free speech.

His nomination must be blocked.

— Adam Schiff (@SenAdamSchiff) April 1, 2025

Here’s Sen. Schiff’s full statement:

Today, Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced he would be placing a hold on the nomination of Edward Martin to be U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, citing Mr. Martin’s troubling conduct in his months as Interim U.S. Attorney in the same role.

“In every way he can, Ed Martin has demolished the firewalls between the White House and his own office within the Department of Justice. Confirming him to serve permanently in the role he has already abused in his interim capacity would cross the prosecutorial Rubicon that every single Senator would come to regret and that would threaten the rights of Americans from all walks of life.

“For the past nine weeks, Ed Martin has consistently undermined the independence and abused the power of the U.S. Attorney’s office in DC – openly threatening and intimidating political opponents, dismissing charges against his own clients, firing public servants for their roles in legitimate investigations, and using his office as a cudgel to chill dissent and free speech.

“No one embodies Donald Trump’s personal weaponization of the Justice Department more than Ed Martin. He is unfit to serve as a lawyer, let alone one with the resources – and cover from the Senate – to further twist the power of the law and law enforcement to go after Americans who stand up for the rule of law and for our democracy. With all of the power I am afforded as a United States Senator, I intend to place a hold on his nomination and block attempts to jam through his appointment at every stage.”

In effect, Schiff’s hold prevents a vote from proceeding to confirm Ed Martin in the Senate.

Sen. Adam Schiff placed a hold Tuesday on the nomination of Ed Martin, the "stop the steal" organizer and advocate for Jan. 6 defendants whom President Donald Trump nominated to be Washington, D.C.'s chief federal prosecutor on a permanent basis. https://t.co/ulSAFnyqLK

— NBC News (@NBCNews) April 2, 2025

CBS News has more details:

President Trump’s controversial choice to be the top federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., Ed Martin, faces an uncertain future, as a Senate Democrat plans to put an indefinite hold on his nomination.

ADVERTISEMENT

Martin, a “Stop the Steal” advocate and former defense attorney who represented U.S. Capitol riot defendants, is Mr. Trump’s nominee to be U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, and Sen. Adam Schiff, a first-term Democrat from California, plans to hold his nomination amid a growing number of controversial statements and decisions by Martin.

The position is among the highest-profile and most powerful federal prosecutor positions in the U.S. Martin, who refers to himself as “Ed the Eagle,” has been serving as acting U.S. attorney for D.C. since Inauguration Day.

Senators have the power to invoke a hold on a presidential nominee, a maneuver that can slow or stall consideration of a nominee for days or weeks. Precious Senate floor time is often needed to overcome holds on presidential nominees.

President Trump’s controversial choice to be the top federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., Ed Martin, faces an uncertain future, as a Senate Democrat plans to put an indefinite hold on his nomination.Martin, a “Stop the Steal” advocate and former defense attorney who represented U.S. Capitol riot defendants, is Mr. Trump’s nominee to be U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, and Sen. Adam Schiff, a first-term Democrat from California, plans to hold his nomination amid a growing number of controversial statements and decisions by Martin.

The position is among the highest-profile and most powerful federal prosecutor positions in the U.S. Martin, who refers to himself as “Ed the Eagle,” has been serving as acting U.S. attorney for D.C. since Inauguration Day.

Senators have the power to invoke a hold on a presidential nominee, a maneuver that can slow or stall consideration of a nominee for days or weeks. Precious Senate floor time is often needed to overcome holds on presidential nominees.

“For the past nine weeks, Ed Martin has consistently undermined the independence and abused the power of the US Attorney’s office in DC, openly threatening and intimidating political opponents, dismissing charges against his own clients, firing public servants for their roles in legitimate investigations and using his office as a cudgel to chill dissent and free speech,” Schiff said in a statement to CBS News.

NBC News added:

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., placed a hold Tuesday on the nomination of Ed Martin, the “stop the steal” organizer and advocate for Jan. 6 defendants whom President Donald Trump nominated to be Washington, D.C.’s chief federal prosecutor on a permanent basis.

Trump named Martin, a Trump loyalist, as the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia on Inauguration Day, and Martin quickly used the power of his office in a highly political fashion: launching investigations into prominent Democrats and demoting federal prosecutors who supervised the prosecutions of Jan. 6 defendants, some of whom Martin himself represented.

“In every way he can, Ed Martin has demolished the firewalls between the White House and his own office within the Department of Justice,” Schiff said in a statement. “Confirming him to serve permanently in the role he has already abused in his interim capacity would cross the prosecutorial Rubicon that every single Senator would come to regret and that would threaten the rights of Americans from all walks of life.”

Gee, I wonder why Shifty Schiff wants to block Ed Martin’s nomination…