Trump-Appointed Prosecutor Demotes Senior Officials Who Handled January 6 Cases

Interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin reassigns experienced prosecutors to lower-level roles, sparking concerns of political retaliation.

Ed Martin, acting U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., has demoted at least eight senior prosecutors involved in January 6 Capitol riot cases, moving them to roles handling misdemeanors or preliminary case assessments.
The demotions include prosecutors who oversaw high-profile cases, such as seditious conspiracy convictions for Oath Keepers and Proud Boys leaders, and cases involving Trump allies Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon.
Martin, a Trump ally and organizer of the 'Stop the Steal' movement, has described federal prosecutors as 'the president's lawyers' and initiated significant changes in the office since his appointment.
Critics view the demotions as retaliatory and aimed at forcing resignations, with some calling the moves unprecedented for a U.S. Attorney's Office handling high-profile federal cases.
Martin’s actions, including dismissing January 6 cases and launching controversial investigations, have raised questions about his impartiality ahead of his Senate confirmation hearings for a permanent appointment.