Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche Removes Ed Martin From Working Group

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche removed Ed Martin from his leadership role within the Justice Department's Weaponization Working Group in early December. Reports indicate the decision followed a misconduct review into allegations that Martin mishandled secret grand jury evidence during an investigation into Senator Adam Schiff, though Blanche denied that any such misconduct investigations into Martin exist.

While Martin continues to serve as the pardon attorney, he is expected to leave the Justice Department in the coming weeks. The removal underscores a rift within the Trump administration between officials adhering to legal guardrails and those favoring aggressive tactics to target political adversaries.

President Donald Trump has expressed frustration with the slow pace of criminal prosecutions against his critics. In response, the Weaponization Working Group increased its meeting frequency to daily sessions to accelerate the administration's agenda. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has attempted to suppress public disagreements resulting from these internal conflicts.