Ed Martin Leaving DOJ to Fight Legal Battles in 2026 Midterms and 2028 Presidential Election
President Donald Trump announced Friday that U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin is leaving the Justice Department to take on an outside legal role focused on election-related battles surrounding the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential election.
Trump revealed the move after Martin spent roughly an hour with him at the White House discussing ongoing projects. The president praised Martin as a longtime ally who had served in several important positions since Trump returned to office.
“Ed is now leaving to go outside to fight Legal Battles for the upcoming Midterm Election, and the Presidential Election of 2028,” Trump announced. He said Martin would work to ensure “Free, Fair, and Honest Elections” while defending constitutional rights.
Exactly what Martin’s new job will entail remains unclear. No outside organization or conservative group has been publicly identified as his next employer, but Trump’s announcement indicates that election litigation and other legal disputes will be central to his work.
Martin, 56, most recently served as the Justice Department’s pardon attorney. He previously served as interim U.S. attorney for Washington, DC, and at one point led the department’s Weaponization Working Group, which examined allegations that federal law enforcement had been improperly used for political purposes.
His tenure included overseeing pardon-related work following Trump’s sweeping clemency for Jan. 6 defendants. Martin also participated in reviews of Biden-era prosecutions involving Trump and helped advance investigations involving prominent Democratic officials.
Martin recently helped establish a new Justice Department process allowing certain people prohibited from possessing firearms because of previous criminal convictions to petition the federal government for restoration of their gun rights. He had reportedly told colleagues that he planned to leave after that system was established.
Trump had initially selected Martin to permanently lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, but his nomination encountered resistance in the Senate. Martin subsequently moved into other positions within the administration while remaining a prominent Trump ally.
His relationship with newly confirmed Attorney General Todd Blanche had also attracted attention. The two reportedly disagreed on some issues, but people familiar with Martin’s departure said those differences were not responsible for his decision to leave. Blanche publicly praised Martin following Trump’s announcement.
Martin’s departure comes as election law and voting procedures are becoming increasingly important ahead of November’s midterms. The Trump administration has pursued voter-roll information from states and backed stricter federal election requirements, while Democrats have raised concerns about potential federal intervention in election administration.
Trump’s decision to move Martin outside the administration suggests the president wants one of his longtime legal allies positioned to participate directly in disputes surrounding upcoming elections. Martin was also involved in efforts challenging the 2020 presidential election results before joining the administration.
Alice Johnson will remain the White House pardon czar following Martin’s departure. Meanwhile, Martin will move from administering pardons and working inside the Justice Department to a potentially significant outside role preparing for legal battles surrounding both the midterms and the presidential contest two years later.