Trump nominates Ed Martin, an ally who defended Jan. 6 rioters, to stay as top DC federal prosecutor

A conservative activist who echoed Donald Trump’s baseless claims of a stolen 2020 election and defended Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol rioters has been nominated by the Republican president to be the top federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., on a permanent basis. Trump posted online about Ed Martin's nomination Monday. Martin has been serving as U.S. attorney for D.C. on an interim basis since just after Trump was sworn in for his second term Jan. 20. Martin's appointment must be confirmed by the Senate. As interim U.S. attorney, Martin oversaw the dismissals of hundreds of Jan. 6 cases after Trump pardoned defendants and commuted sentences. Martin grew up in New Jersey and headed the Missouri Republican Party.