Interim US attorney for Washington, DC, Ed Martin, has announced the establishment of a new election fraud investigative office, an internal email to staff obtained by Reuters shows. The development is being questioned on issues of jurisdiction and political motivations, given Martin’s prior echoing of former President Donald Trump’s unfounded allegations of a 2020 election theft.
Martin wrote in his staff email that the just-established Special Unit Election Accountability already had opened an investigation and asked for volunteers to participate. “Americans do not have faith in our election systems,” he said. “One of the best methods of restoring that confidence is to guard our systems and insist on accountability.”
Yet, it is uncertain whether Martin’s office has legal jurisdiction to prosecute election fraud cases outside of Washington, DC He declined to say if he had sought the advice of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, which handles federal election-related investigations.
Martin, who in the past had defended those caught up in the January 6 Capitol insurrection and was among the attendees on the ground, has come under criticism for his conduct since he took office. He has made public threats to open investigations of members of Congress and has made criminal investigations over social media.
The Public Integrity Section of the Justice Department, which normally handles election fraud cases, has experienced upheaval in recent weeks, as several resignations followed reports that senior officials bullied lawyers to dismiss corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Additional staffing reductions are said to be under consideration.
Trump has also nominated Martin for a permanent position as US attorney, but his confirmation is far from certain in the Republican-controlled Senate. The creation of the election fraud unit could further taint his time as a federal prosecutor.
