A DOJ internal review reported by CNN found evidence that Ed Martin, a Trump-aligned attorney, may have improperly handled grand jury materials tied to mortgage-fraud probes of Sen. Adam Schiff and NY Attorney General Letitia James. Martin, who served nine months at DOJ and led the Weaponization Working Group, was removed from that panel and reassigned away from DOJ headquarters; he is expected to leave the department soon. He has not been charged, and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said there are "no misconduct investigations into Ed Martin."
DOJ Review Says Trump Ally May Have Improperly Shared Grand Jury Materials In Probes Of Political Opponents
Craig Hudson For The Washington Post via Getty Images
A Department of Justice internal review found evidence that Ed Martin, a Trump-aligned attorney who served in the DOJ for nine months after failing Senate confirmation, may have improperly handled grand jury materials connected to mortgage-fraud inquiries into Sen. Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James, according to reporting by CNN.
What the review found
Investigators working for Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche concluded that email records uncovered during the review pointed to possible sharing of secret grand jury documents with unauthorized recipients. Martin initially denied providing grand jury materials to anyone outside authorized channels, but the review flagged communications that prompted further scrutiny.
Edward Martin during an Anacostia Coordinating Council monthly meeting at Martha's Table in Washington, DC on March 25, 2025. / Valerie Plesch/For The Washington Post
Martin's role and reassignment
Martin worked inside the Justice Department for roughly nine months, serving as a pardon attorney and as co-lead of the Weaponization Working Group, a panel created to review actions by officials who investigated former President Donald Trump. On the first day of 2026 he was removed from the Weaponization Working Group and reassigned away from DOJ headquarters to another DOJ building several miles away. He is expected to depart the department in the coming weeks.
Related investigations and outcomes
Martin helped oversee or advance several politically sensitive matters, including inquiries into former FBI Director James Comey and actions involving New York Attorney General Letitia James. Some related matters were later dismissed by judges — in one instance after a court found that a Trump-appointed prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan, had been unlawfully appointed.
Adam Schiff is a long-time nemesis of Donald Trump, having managed the president’s first impeachment trial. / Win McNamee/Getty Images
Official statements and legal status
Martin has not been criminally charged, and DOJ officials say they have not concluded that any laws were broken. In a statement to CNN, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said there are "no misconduct investigations into Ed Martin" and that "Ed is doing a great job as Pardon Attorney." Blanche’s office did not confirm whether a separate formal investigation into Martin’s handling of grand jury material was opened.
“President Trump ordered Ed Martin to fight weaponization wherever it’s found,” a person close to Martin told CNN. “As a member of the Deputy Attorney General’s staff, Ed handled hundreds of cases and matters directed by the DAG. Ed, his co-chair Colin McDonald, and the members of the Weaponization Working Group followed DOJ standards and procedures at all times.”
What remains unclear
The review’s findings were cited as among the reasons for Martin’s reassignment, but the DOJ has not publicly released the full report or detailed which laws, if any, might have been violated. Media reports attribute the findings to CNN’s reporting on the internal Blanche-led review.
The Daily Beast and other outlets have sought comment from the Department of Justice.
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