The acting top federal prosecutor in Washington, Ed Martin, is furious about recent leaks to the press and has directed staff to scrutinize a former official’s work on January 6 cases after she rebuked him on TV. Martin sent an email to his entire office, complaining that someone leaked an email he sent on Monday, which reviewed how prosecutors handled some January 6, 2021, cases. He called the leak “personally insulting and professionally unacceptable.”
The email follows Martin’s turbulent first week in office, as he tries to impose former President Donald Trump’s agenda at the Justice Department, facing pushback from career prosecutors and others who have quit and criticized his actions. Martin lashed out at a former prosecutor, Ashley Akers, who resigned after Trump granted mass clemency to January 6 defendants and criticized Martin’s actions. Akers appeared on TV, condemning Martin’s moves, including his internal review of January 6 cases. Martin responded by sending an officewide email, berating Akers and directing staff to scrutinize her records and emails.
Martin has also been complaining about leaks in previous emails, saying they are “personally insulting and professionally unacceptable.” In one email, he wrote that he was dismayed that someone leaked details about a conversation they had, and in another, he threatened to fire anyone responsible for the leak. A spokesperson for the US attorney’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
