CNN
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At least eight senior federal prosecutors who worked on the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot cases have been demoted to entry-level jobs, according to multiple sources and memos obtained by CNN.
The unprecedented moves by Ed Martin, the acting US attorney in Washington, DC, are seen as retaliation by the Donald Trump loyalist as a way to force the prosecutors to resign, sources say.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” a former prosecutor said. “It is inconceivable.”
The demotions include leaders and experienced members of the Federal Major Crimes division and the Fraud, Public Corruption and Civil Rights division.
“Let me be clear: this change is not temporary,” Martin wrote in a memo obtained by CNN.
Reassigning well-respected leaders to jobs handling misdemeanors is the latest controversy at a Justice Department rocked by the actions of Trump appointees.
Earlier this month, chaos erupted after Deputy US Attorney Emil Bove demanded that federal prosecutors drop their case against New York Mayor Eric Adams. Bove’s order caused the acting US attorney for New York and five other prosecutors to quit.
Martin, meanwhile, has drawn attention for describing his office as “President Trump’s lawyers” and tying himself to Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency.
In his memo Friday, Martin said Friday’s changes are necessary to “achieve the goals set forth by the President and Attorney General.”
“It’s meant to get them to quit,” said a source familiar with Friday’s moves. “This is 100% square one.”
CNN has reached out to the US Attorney’s Office for comment.
Martin became the interim US attorney for DC shortly after Trump was sworn back into office. Just hours after taking the job, Martin used his new powers to dismiss January 6 Capitol riot cases, fire prosecutors who were involved in the investigations and launch internal reviews in an attempt to find misconduct within the office.
Trump later nominated Martin to the full-time job after he ingratiated himself to the president. (He must be confirmed by the Senate.) Martin was also one of the organizers of the “Stop the Steal” movement and has falsely denied that Trump lost the 2020 presidential election.
Martin has also been active on X, responding to messages from Musk and others about possible investigative targets.
In an earlier memo, Martin announced that his office would back Musk and DOGE, saying he would file charges against anyone who attempted to interfere with the members of Musk’s team. On X, Martin posted a letter addressed to Musk saying, “We will protect DOGE and other workers no matter what.”
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A statement from Martin was also posted on the DC US attorney’s X account after the White House barred the Associated Press from entering a White House press briefing on February 12. Martin called the office “President Trump’s lawyers” and said it would be “standing against entities like the AP.”
“As President’s Trumps’ lawyers, we are proud to fight to protect his leadership as our President and we are vigilant in standing against entities like the AP that refuse to put America first,” Martin posted.
Several prosecutors in Martin’s office have objected to his abrupt actions, some even resigning from their positions. Denise Cheung, the top criminal prosecutor in the US Attorney’s Office, resigned after refusing to sign an order from Martin to start a grand jury investigation into the Biden administration’s climate funding.
