The Senate Judiciary Committee won’t move on Ed Martin’s nomination to become the US Attorney for DC this week, Punchbowl News reports. Martin’s interim appointment to the post is up on May 20, and Democrats, who oppose Martin’s nomination, can delay any vote by a week, John Bresnahan and Max Cohen write. If Martin isn’t confirmed by then, US District Court judges in DC will have the authority to name a new temporary US Attorney.
President Trump posted about Martin’s nomination Monday night, tying Martin’s nomination to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement, though it wasn’t immediately clear how the two positions interlock. Martin has sent vaguely threatening letters to medical journals and did meet with Kennedy in March where they discussed MAHA, and Martin said, “Accountability is coming to liars and cheaters.” Martin posted last year that he believes in MAHA.
Martin sent a letter to the Judiciary Committee saying he didn’t mean to omit dozens of media appearances in his disclosure documents, Punchbowl reports. Trump, CNN reports, has been making calls to GOP lawmakers on Martin’s behalf. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Monday that he won’t support Martin’s nomination, which could doom any vote if all the other senators on the committee vote along party lines.
This story was updated with the news about Thom Tillis.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
