Justice Department pardon attorney Ed Martin has been slapped with an ethics charge over a threatening letter he sent to Georgetown University about its diversity and inclusion policies.
In the letter, which Martin wrote when he was serving as interim U.S. attorney, he told Georgetown Law’s dean that his department would not hire any of the university’s law students after a whistleblower allegedly claimed Georgetown was teaching DEI.
In a complaint filed Friday with the D.C. Court of Appeals’ Board on Professional Responsibility, D.C. Bar disciplinary counsel Hamilton “Phil” Fox III argued that Martin overstepped constitutional boundaries with the letter.
Fox alleged that Martin’s actions violated the First and Fifth Amendments by pressuring the law school to alter both its curriculum and the way it teaches students.
“Acting in his official capacity and speaking on behalf of the government, he used coercion to punish or suppress a disfavored viewpoint, the teaching and promotion of DEI,” Fox wrote in the court filing. “He demanded that Georgetown Law relinquish its free speech and religious rights in order to obtain a benefit, employment opportunities for its students.”
Fox added: “Mr. Martin knew or should have known that, as a government official, his conduct violated the First and Fifth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States.”
The letter was part of the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on DEI initiatives at universities, which has seen the president sign a series of executive orders aimed at eliminating DEI initiatives across the federal government and targeting institutions that receive federal funding.
Martin is also accused of violating ethics rules by contacting judges of the D.C. court directly after he found out he was under investigation, rather than going through official channels.
“In that letter, he stated that he would not be responding to Disciplinary Counsel’s inquiry, complained about Disciplinary Counsel’s ‘uneven behavior,’ and requested a ‘face-to-face meeting with all of you to discuss this matter and find a way forward,’” Fox wrote.
“He copied the White House Counsel ‘for informational purposes because of the importance of getting this issue addressed.’”
If Martin is found guilty, he could be sanctioned or lose his law license.
The Daily Beast has contacted the DOJ and the pardon attorney’s office for comment.
The Justice Department defended Martin, accusing the D.C. Bar of having a “partisan” agenda.
“The DC bar’s attempt to target and punish those serving President Trump while refusing to investigate or act against actual ethical violations that were committed by Biden and Obama administration attorneys is a clear indication of this partisan organization’s agenda,” the statement said.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote on X: “The DC Bar is such a blatantly Democrat-run political organization. Thank God I’m not a member, and trust me, I never will be.”
Martin’s short time leading the U.S. attorney’s office was marked by repeated controversy, much of it tied to his past advocacy on behalf of people involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
He took the post just as President Trump returned to office and issued sweeping pardons to those charged in the riot.
During his tenure, Martin oversaw a series of firings and demotions and drew criticism for breaking with Justice Department norms by sending combative letters to lawmakers and outside institutions.
When it became clear he lacked the support needed for confirmation in the Republican-controlled Senate, Martin was replaced as U.S. attorney by Jeanine Pirro. He was reassigned to other roles at the Justice Department, including serving as pardon attorney and leading Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Weaponization Working Group.
Although he has since been removed from that leadership position, Martin remains at the department in his role as pardon attorney.
Earlier this year, a Department of Justice review found that Martin mishandled grand jury materials related to investigations into Trump critcs Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
