Ed Martin departs as pardon attorney, touts Trump-era legal crusade

Ed Martin will conclude his service as pardon attorney next week after a 15-month period he labels a “year of mercy,” during which he granted pardons and commutations to many Trump supporters. He previously served four months as interim U.S. attorney in D.C. and later as a special attorney for mortgage fraud, overseeing probes of notable figures such as New York Attorney General Letitia James and Senator Adam Schiff. Martin also headed a DOJ “Weaponization Working Group,” launching inquiries into alleged partisan targeting of Catholics, school-board parents and pro-life activists, which he attributed to Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.

He criticized Monaco’s subsequent high-paying role at Microsoft and expressed admiration for Trump’s optimism and “Horatio Alger” narrative. Looking forward, Martin plans to concentrate on energizing the MAGA base for the midterm and 2028 elections, emphasizing Second Amendment rights and voter turnout among conservatives.