Ed Martin Jr., the soon-to-be Justice Department's pardon attorney, has announced his intention to thoroughly examine the pardons issued by former President Joe Biden during his final days in office.
This announcement comes after President Donald Trump withdrew Martin's nomination for the position of the top federal prosecutor for Washington.
"These are big moments, and so they have to be able to withstand scrutiny," Martin declared on Tuesday, his final day as acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, as reported by The Washington Times.
In January, Biden pardoned his siblings and their spouses, Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, and members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. None of these individuals had been charged with any crime, and the pardons were issued as a protective measure against potential retaliation from President Trump.
Martin's nomination was withdrawn by Trump last week due to bipartisan opposition, and he was replaced by Fox News host Jeanine Pirro. Martin will now serve as an associate deputy attorney general and pardon attorney, and will also be the director of the "weaponization working group" at the Justice Department.
This group was proposed by Attorney General Pam Bondi in February to investigate the work of former special counsel Jack Smith, who led two federal prosecutions of Trump that were ultimately abandoned, and other instances of what Republicans perceive as unjust targeting of conservatives during Biden's administration.
Biden, in his announcement of the last-minute pardons, stated that his family had been "subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me - the worst kind of partisan politics." He further expressed his belief that these attacks would continue, a statement made on the day of Trump's second inauguration.
Martin, however, believes that Biden's pardons "need some scrutiny." He stated, "They need scrutiny because we want pardons to matter and to be accepted and to be something that's used correctly. So I do think we're going to take a hard look at how they went and what they did."
While the Constitution grants presidents broad pardon powers that cannot be undone by courts or other officials, it remains unclear what action Martin believes he can take regarding Biden's pardons. He did reveal that the U.S. Attorney's office under his leadership had already begun examining the conduct surrounding the pardons and the Biden White House.
President Trump has also utilized the president's extensive pardon powers to benefit those close to him. In the final weeks of his first term, Trump pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as well as multiple allies convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. On the first day of his second term, Trump pardoned nearly all of the 1,500 people charged with crimes in the Capitol riot, freeing dozens of people convicted of assaulting police from prison.
Martin, appointed as acting U.S. Attorney during Trump's first week back in the White House, oversaw the dismissal of hundreds of Capitol riot cases following Trump's Jan. 6 pardons. However, his hopes of retaining the position diminished due to questions about his lack of prosecutorial experience and his divisive politics. Trump withdrew Martin's nomination shortly after a key Republican senator expressed his inability to support Martin for the job due to his defense of Capitol rioters.
"Ultimately, the president decided we didn't want to keep going forward," Martin said. "The president of the United States said we have other battles to do, and so I'm excited about that." This statement reflects the ongoing political battles and the conservative perspective that continues to shape the political landscape of the United States.
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