Ed Martin, DC’s acting US attorney, met with lawmakers and other local stakeholders at his office Thursday to address crime on Capitol Hill.
In a letter from Martin obtained by Washingtonian, addressed to “Capitol Hill Friends,” he writes, “I am writing you this letter because you or a member of your office has been a victim of crime in Washington, D.C. or you have a particular role or responsibility in helping to address this problem.”
The letter continues, “While any crime in the District is unacceptable, it is particularly concerning that Members and staff, public servants who are representing their constituencies back home, are subject to the threat of increased violence here in Washington, D.C.”
Martin specifies that he is “deeply alarmed by the rate of violent crimes against those who work on Capitol Hill,” adding, “While violence against anyone in Washington, D.C. is intolerable, your positions expose you to unique threats and it is my hope we can formulate solutions together.” He goes on to invite recipients to a “bicameral and bipartisan meeting” at his office.
Washingtonian attempted to cover the meeting but was asked to leave by organizers, who said the event was not open to the press.
Ankit Jain, a US shadow senator for DC who attended the meeting, tells Washingtonian that presenters included law enforcement officers from the DC police department, the Metro transit police, and the Capitol police, as well as a representative from a violent crime working group.
During the event, Martin stressed the importance of providing law enforcement with sufficient resources to address violent crime and expressed his support for the Senate bill that would prevent DC from cutting $400 million from its budget, according to Jain.
In a video obtained by Washingtonian, Jain asks Martin, “What would you say to people who are worried about your office’s ability to prosecute those instances of antisemitism given your associations with people who are avowed neo-Nazis?” Jain cites the vandalism of Foggy Bottom Kosher deli Char Bar, which took place on the anniversary of Kristallnacht in November.
Jain says he was referring to Martin’s previous public appearances with Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, a now-pardoned January 6 defendant who attracted national attention for an image in which he appears to be dressed as Hitler.
In response, Martin cites his office’s arrest and conviction of a Richmond man who spray-painted “HAMAS IS COMIN” on a statue in Columbus Circle during protests of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s congressional visit last summer. “Our office has been, in the last 100 days but also in our history, has been leading on fighting against hate crime and antisemitism,” Martin says.
“It’s all well and good to prosecute what appear to be left-wing instances of antisemitism,” Jain tells Washingtonian. “But what I am worried about is whether he will prosecute right wing antisemites, because he seems to be friends with those kind of people.”
Martin has been serving as the interim US Attorney for DC since President Trump’s inauguration, and has been nominated to fill the role permanently. US Senator Adam Schiff of California placed a hold on Martin’s nomination earlier this month, citing in part his participation in the January 6, 2021 “Stop the Steal” rally that preceded the Capitol break-in and subsequent legal defense of multiple accused rioters. On Monday, CBS News reported that nearly 100 former DC US Attorney’s Office employees signed off on a memo urging the Senate to oppose Martin’s nomination, writing that Martin’s “refusals to acknowledge the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election and the illegality in the conduct of 1600 individuals who overran the police and the Capitol on January 6, 2021, causing physical harm to dozens and potentially irreparable damage to the institution of democratic governance are in and of themselves disqualifying.”
Martin’s acting term as DC’s US Attorney will expire on May 20 unless he is confirmed by the Senate.
