On The DOJ’s New Campaign To Silence Trump’s Critics

TechDirt reports:

The Trump DOJ retribution tour has begun, as Ed Martin, Trump’s interim US Attorney for the District of Columbia, launches a series of politically motivated investigations targeting critics of Trump and Elon Musk. Martin, a former talk radio host and “Stop the Steal” supporter with no prosecutorial experience, is transforming what should be an independent office into what appears to be a personal intimidation squad.

After years of baselessly crying “lawfare” over legitimate investigations into January 6th and other matters, MAGA Republicans are now demonstrating what actual politically motivated investigations look like. But Martin’s most dangerous overreach is his attempt to criminalize what he calls “simply unethical” behavior — a standard that exists nowhere in federal law and would violate basic First Amendment principles.

Read the full article. As previously reported here, Martin’s so-called “Operation Whirlwind” started this week with threatening letters to Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Robert Garcia over remarks they’ve made about Elon Musk. Hit the link, it’s an excellent deep dive into Martin’s far-right past, his associations with Capitol rioters, and his murky legal reasoning. Read every word.