WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Republican Sen. Thom Tillis says he鈥檚 informed the White House that he won鈥檛 support Ed Martin, President in Washington, stalling the nomination in the Senate weeks before the temporary appointment expires.
The North Carolina Republican told reporters Tuesday that he had met with Martin on Monday evening and was opposing his nomination because of his defense of rioters who breached the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Martin, a leading figure in Trump鈥檚 campaign to overturn the 2020 election, spoke at a rally on the eve of the and represented defendants who were prosecuted for the attack.
鈥淲e have to be very, very clear that what happened on January 6th was wrong,鈥� Tillis said. 鈥淚t was not prompted or created by other people to put those people in trouble. They made a stupid decision, and they disgraced the United States by absolutely destroying the Capitol.鈥�
The U.S. Attorney鈥檚 office in Washington is the country鈥檚 largest and prosecuted more than 1,500 riot defendants after the 2021 attack. Trump most of the rioters the day he was inaugurated, and he later appointed Martin to temporarily lead the office. That appointment expires later this month, and Trump has urged Republican senators to quickly confirm Martin to the job.
鈥淓d is coming up on the deadline for Voting and, if approved, HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN,鈥� Trump posted on Truth Social on Monday.
Martin could still be confirmed after his appointment expires. But Tillis鈥檚 opposition will prevent the committee from advancing the nomination, for now, and signals that Martin might not have the votes to win confirmation on the Senate floor. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair did not list Martin on this week鈥檚 agenda for votes later in the week, suggesting that Republicans are aware there are not enough votes to confirm him.
Speaking to reporters later on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said that it is ultimately the Judiciary panel’s decision whether to proceed with Martin’s nomination. 鈥淢y understanding is they haven’t scheduled anything on that yet, and we will cross that bridge if and when we come to it,鈥� he said.
Martin has roiled the federal prosecutors鈥� office since his appointment as U.S. attorney in January, including veteran attorneys who prosecuted Trump supporters for and interrupting the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s victory.
He has also described federal prosecutors as the 鈥減resident鈥檚 lawyers鈥� and after a dispute over a directive to scrutinize the awarding of a government contract during the Biden administration. He also demoted several senior leaders, including prosecutors who handled or oversaw politically sensitive cases involving the Jan. 6 riot and Trump allies and .
Tillis said he believes that anyone who broke into the building that day should be prosecuted, a disagreement he said he had with Martin.
鈥淲hether it鈥檚 30 days or three years is debatable, but I have no tolerance for anybody who entered the building on January 6th, and that鈥檚 probably where most of the friction was,鈥� Tillis said.
Dozens of former federal prosecutors in the office have raised alarm over Martin鈥檚 scant courtroom experience and his actions since taking office. In a letter to the committee, more than 100 veterans of the office described him as 鈥渁n affront to the singular pursuit of justice for which this Office has stood for more than two centuries.”
His supporters have touted his record fighting for conservative causes and his efforts to tackle violent crime since his appointment. About two dozen Republican state attorneys general said in a letter to the committee that Martin has 鈥渟hown conclusively that he has what it takes to serve in that role with integrity and a fearless commitment to do what is right on behalf of the American people.鈥�
It is unclear what will happen if Martin is not confirmed by May 20, the day his appointment expires. Attorney General Pam Bondi could ask the district court to extend Martin’s interim status or the administration could nominate someone else to serve as the interim U.S. attorney while Martin’s nomination is pending.
Tillis said that the White House can 鈥渨ork through that鈥� if they want to extend Martin’s appointment, but 鈥渁t this point I鈥檝e indicated to the White House I wouldn鈥檛 support his nomination.”
In a post on X, White House spokesman Alex Pfeiffer said that 鈥淓d Martin is a fantastic U.S. Attorney for D.C. and will continue to implement the President鈥檚 law-and-order agenda in Washington. He is the right man for the job and we look forward to his confirmation.鈥�
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Associated Press writers Michelle Price and Ali Swenson contributed to this report.
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