The top federal prosecutor overseeing criminal cases at the Washington, D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office resigned on Tuesday, citing what she called an improper demand from officials appointed by President Donald Trump’s administration to initiate a criminal investigation and freeze assets.
Newsweek sent a request for comment to the Department of Justice through its media form online
Why It Matters
There has been ongoing turmoil with the Department of Justice. Last week, seven officials within the US attorney’s office in Manhattan and at department headquarters resigned, stating they’d rather step down than dismiss charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams.
Adams was indicted in September 2024 on federal charges, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, wire fraud, solicitation of contributions by a foreign national, and bribery. He was accused of accepting more than $100,000 in luxury gifts and illegal campaign contributions from Turkish officials and businesspeople in exchange for opening a consulate in New York without proper fire inspections. Adams denied all the allegations against him.
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What To Know
Criminal Chief Denise Cheung stated that the Trump administration had directed her to investigate a government contract awarded during Joe Biden’s administration and to pursue an asset freeze against the recipient, according to a letter to interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin, reviewed by Reuters and The New York Times.
Cheung, a Harvard Law School graduate, did not say what exactly lead to her decision.
The resignation, however, comes less than a day after Trump nominated Ed Martin to run the office. The President called Martin’s career of service “distinguished,” as he worked as the human rights office director for the Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis as well as a judicial clerk to Judge Pasco M. Bowman, II, of the Eight Circuit Court of Appeals. Martin also had started his own legal practice.
Prior to this role, Martin was known for his legal defense of individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Notably, he represented at least three defendants, including a member of the Proud Boys who pleaded guilty. Martin has publicly downplayed the events of January 6, suggesting that 99.9% of those charged were “normal people doing normal things.”
“This office is a special place,” Cheung wrote. “I took an oath of office to support and defend the Constitution, and I have executed this duty faithfully.”
Over the holiday weekend, the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) acting commissioner and the head of the food division at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also resigned due to cuts and requests for highly classified information from the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump on his Truth Social account: “It is my honor to nominate highly respected Edward R. Martin, Jr., for the full and permanent term of United States Attorney for the District of Columbia…
“Since Inauguration Day, Ed has been doing a great job as Interim U.S. Attorney, fighting tirelessly to restore Law and Order, and make our Nation’s Capital Safe and Beautiful Again. He will get the job done.”
Hagan Scotten, a federal prosecutor handling the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams who resigned Friday, said in his letter: “If no lawyer within earshot of the President is willing to give him that advice, then I expect you will eventually find someone who is enough of a fool, or enough of a coward, to file your motion. But it was never going to me.”
What Happens Next
Martin still needs to be confirmed by Senate.
Adams is set to be in court on Wednesday to explain the motion seeking to dismiss his bribery charges.
Update: 2/18/25, 12:22 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
