DOJ Ethics Office Files Misconduct Charges Against Justice Official Ed Martin

Justice Department official Ed Martin faces professional misconduct charges for threatening Georgetown Law School over diversity programs. Martin, now serving as the DOJ's pardon attorney, allegedly warned the law school his office wouldn't hire their students unless they eliminated DEI initiatives.

WASHINGTON — A Justice Department official is facing professional misconduct allegations after threatening a prestigious law school over its diversity programs, according to ethics charges filed in the nation’s capital.

Ed Martin, currently serving as the Justice Department’s pardon attorney, stands accused of sending a threatening communication to Georgetown Law School’s dean while he held the position of interim U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. The Office of Disciplinary Counsel filed the charges last Friday.

According to the ethics filing, Martin threatened that his office would refuse to hire Georgetown law students unless the institution dismantled its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The allegations claim Martin violated his professional oath and constitutional protections for free speech and due process.

Hamilton Fox, the Disciplinary Counsel who brought the charges, has requested a D.C. Court of Appeals panel determine appropriate disciplinary action. Martin has been given 20 days to submit a written response to the accusations. Neither Martin nor his legal representative responded to requests for comment.

The controversy stems from Martin’s February communication to Georgetown Law Dean William Treanor, in which he claimed a whistleblower reported that the school “continues to promote and teach DEI.” Martin’s action aligned with a Trump administration executive order targeting federal DEI programs.

“This is unacceptable,” Martin stated in his correspondence, threatening to block all Georgetown students from consideration for employment opportunities, internships, or fellowships until the matter was addressed.

Dean Treanor pushed back against Martin’s demands, citing First Amendment protections. “Given the First Amendment’s protection of a university’s freedom to determine its own curriculum and how to deliver it, the constitutional violation behind this threat is clear, as is the attack on the University’s mission as a Jesuit and Catholic institution,” Treanor responded.

When Martin discovered the ethics investigation last year, he attempted to contact D.C. Court of Appeals judges directly, criticizing Fox’s “uneven behavior” and requesting a “face-to-face meeting with all of you to discuss this matter and find a way forward,” according to the disciplinary filing.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche defended Martin, characterizing the complaint as originating from “a blatantly Democrat-run political organization.” The Justice Department issued a statement claiming the charges represent “a partisan organization’s agenda” targeting Trump administration officials while overlooking ethical violations by attorneys who served under Democratic administrations.

“Let us not forget that DC-barred members of Biden’s special counsel were found to have acted against President Trump without legal authority and in clear violation of the Constitution, yet the bar did nothing,” the department stated.

Martin, a conservative activist without prosecutorial background, was selected by President Trump in January to head the country’s largest U.S. Attorney’s office. He had previously played a prominent role in Trump’s “Stop the Steal” movement following the 2020 election.

Trump eventually withdrew Martin’s nomination for permanent appointment after a Republican senator opposed his confirmation due to Martin’s vocal support for January 6, 2021 Capitol protesters. In May, Trump nominated Fox News personality Jeanine Pirro to take over the U.S. Attorney position.

While Martin continues in his role as pardon attorney, he was recently stripped of his leadership position in the Justice Department’s “Weaponization Working Group,” which examines federal prosecutions of Trump.