What to know about Ed Martin, the right-wing activist Trump tapped to be DC’s top prosecutor

While Trump administration officials were preparing to install a seasoned conservative lawyer as the top prosecutor in Washington, DC, the firebrand right-wing activist in the job on a temporary basis was waging a public campaign to keep the job permanently.

While Trump administration officials were preparing to install a seasoned conservative lawyer as the top prosecutor in Washington, DC, the firebrand right-wing activist in the job on a temporary basis was waging a public campaign to keep the job permanently. Within hours of becoming interim US attorney for DC on President Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day, Ed Martin swiftly used his powers to dismiss pending January 6-related cases. He then fired prosecutors who were involved, and launched an internal review to hunt for possible misconduct. He also publicly allied with Elon Musk and offered to file charges against anyone who threatens members of his team in the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. People familiar with the matter said Martin’s stock rose in Trump’s orbit as he used his temporary powers to aggressively push a retribution agenda and chronicled his moves in social media postings, often bashing Democratic critics and praising Trump. On Monday, Trump announced Martin, a fellow election denier in 2020 and defense lawyer for US Capitol rioters, would be getting the nod. That left the man originally envisioned for the role, former Bush-era Pentagon official Cully Stimson, falling by the wayside, despite a recent meeting with Attorney General Pam Bondi at Mar-a-Lago to discuss priorities for the US attorney’s office. Trump had even told allies that his pick for the position was Stimson.