DOJ’s New ‘Weaponization Czar’ Ed Martin Already Targeting Key Russiagate Figures: Report
After a Senate GOP shake-up sidelined his nomination as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, President Donald Trump moved quickly to appoint Ed Martin as the head of the Justice Department’s newly formalized Weaponization Working Group, according to a report published Saturday.
The move, viewed by many as a strategic pivot rather than a fallback, comes amid revelations that Martin had already been taking aggressive steps behind the scenes to challenge what President Trump and his administration have long decried as political lawfare—namely, the Russiagate hoax, the partisan prosecution of January 6 defendants, and broader abuses by the federal government against American citizens.
According to the New York Post, Martin has spent recent months methodically directing inquiries into major players involved in the Russia collusion narrative, leveraging his post as Washington, D.C.’s top federal prosecutor before the Senate blocked his permanent appointment.
Now officially designated as the DOJ’s “weaponization czar,” Martin says his mandate is sweeping. “It’s a nationwide and frankly, international docket where the government was used against the citizens, where the government was weaponized,” Martin told the outlet. “Sometimes there’ll be crimes involved, in which case we’ll prosecute. Sometimes there’ll be just the need to make clear this is not how it’s supposed to go.”
Martin emphasized that the scope of his new role could include virtually anyone responsible for politicizing federal institutions. “There may be no limit to the targets,” he added, “since there was no limit to the weaponization.”
Upon being named interim U.S. Attorney earlier this year—a post set to expire May 20—Martin took swift action. He removed several prosecutors overseeing politically charged January 6 cases and issued a round of investigatory letters aimed at some of the most controversial figures linked to the Mueller investigation and the Trump-Russia narrative.
Targets reportedly include Andrew Weissmann, often referred to as Robert Mueller’s “pitbull”; Mary McCord, who spearheaded the DOJ’s probe into alleged Trump-Russia collusion; Aaron Zelinsky, another prominent member of Mueller’s team; and Charles McGonigal, the disgraced FBI official convicted of working with a Russian oligarch.
In fact, Martin’s office recently reached out to McGonigal’s legal counsel, requesting an interview regarding “information [that] has come to the attention of my office,” per a letter obtained by the Post. McGonigal is currently serving a 78-month federal sentence for taking money from a foreign national and aiding a sanctioned Russian billionaire.
One of the most high-profile figures Martin is scrutinizing is Weissmann. In March, Martin raised ethical concerns over Weissmann’s role in approving a massive $4.5 billion settlement in a foreign bribery case during his tenure as head of the DOJ’s Criminal Fraud Section in 2016. That settlement, involving Brazilian conglomerate Odebrecht, later benefited Canadian investment giant Brookfield Asset Management—which was represented by Weissmann’s former law firm, Jenner & Block.
“Were you paid a bonus or a higher salary when you returned to Jenner & Block after clearing its longtime client of consequences for corruption?” Martin demanded in a sharply worded letter, according to Racket News.
Martin’s efforts are backed by a familiar name in Trump world—Michael Caputo, a former Trump health department official and longtime political operative who was previously targeted in the Russia probe. Caputo served as Martin’s “sherpa” during his contentious Senate confirmation process and is now a vocal ally in the new DOJ effort to root out weaponization.
“I will go wherever President Trump sends me to get accountability for the demons who illegally weaponized the government against him and his allies, against my family and friends,” Caputo said in comments to the Post. “I have been proud to help US Attorney Ed Martin deliver on his promise to the President.”
With President Trump now doubling down on accountability within federal law enforcement, Martin’s elevation signals a serious push to investigate—and potentially prosecute—those who turned government power into a political cudgel. And for many Americans concerned with restoring the rule of law and defending constitutional freedoms, this could mark a long-awaited turning point.