WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered an opening statement during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s executive business meeting where he continued to raise his serious concerns over Ed Martin—President Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. Attorney in D.C.
Today’s executive business meeting also considered the nominations of John Eisenberg, nominated to be Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division, and Brett Shumate, nominated to be Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division.
Key Quotes:
“Last Friday, we received responses from Mr. Martin to our questions, and it raised even more questions. Mr. Martin made a number of false statements and contradictory statements that are easily disproven by the material he himself disclosed in his Senate Judiciary Questionnaire. And it wasn’t just to my questions—it was to Chairman Grassley’s questions as well.”
“First, there is Mr. Martin’s relationship with Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, a January 6 rioter and Nazi sympathizer. In response to Chairman Grassley’s question, Mr. Martin said ‘I am not close with [Mr. Hale-Cusanelli]…and I otherwise do not have close, consistent interactions with him.’ That answer is contradicted by Mr. Martin’s own words and actions. Mr. Martin interviewed Mr. Hale-Cusanelli at least five times in 2024 alone. In one of those interviews, Mr. Martin said, ‘Tim Hale is an extraordinary guy. I’ve gotten to know him really well, I’d say we’re friends, over the last few years and especially in the last months since he’s been out of jail.’”
“And Mr. Martin told me that he hadn’t seen photos of Mr. Hale-Cusanelli with a Hitler mustache prior to that award ceremony… As a reminder, this is the award ceremony where Ed Martin called Mr. Hale-Cusanelli ‘an extraordinary man, an extraordinary leader’… Just weeks before presenting this award ceremony, Mr. Martin excused Hale-Cusanelli dressing up as Hitler as ‘goofing around’ and claimed he was being ‘smeared and slurred’ by allegations of antisemitism.”
“Mr. Martin himself has made a number of offensive comments. In 2022, he said ‘President Joe Biden is Hitler, and I am not joking when I say that.’ On his podcast, Mr. Martin said ‘you show me a Jewish American who feels good about the Democrat Administration, and I’ll show you someone who is not really Jewish.’…In a letter sent to the Committee earlier this week, 11 national Jewish organizations representing more than one million members across the United States raised concerns about Mr. Martin.”
“Mr. Martin also wrote to Chairman Grassley that, ‘I do not condone violence against the police, and I respect and revere our policemen and policewomen around the nation.’ Again, Mr. Martin’s own words contradict that assertion. In August 2023, he excused violence by January 6 rioters, saying ‘we have to have less judgment on somebody who hits a cop.’…He continued, “I’ve seen people hit a cop and that doesn’t make it the end of the world.’ He called January 6 rioters, including those who beat police officers in the Capitol, ‘patriots’ and ‘victims.’”
“I am also alarmed by the vast number of items Mr. Martin omitted from his [Senate Judiciary] Questionnaire. Of approximately 1,900 writings or appearances that he was required to disclose, he initially omitted at least 400 items—over 20 percent of the total… Since this Committee met last…the Washington Post uncovered nearly 150 appearances by Mr. Martin on RT and Sputnik—networks funded and directed by the Russian government.”
“Many [omissions] occurred as recently as last year, which calls into question Mr. Martin’s claim that ‘I’ve done my best to identify all responsive material.’ Just this week, my staff uncovered an event Mr. Martin should have disclosed. Here’s what he said at the event: ‘You’re not racist if you don’t like Mexicans.’ I am appalled that anyone would make a statement like that.”
“Mr. Chairman, thank you for taking my concerns with this nomination seriously. Mr. Martin has not taken our process and questionnaires seriously. His record makes it clear that he does not have the temperament nor the judgment for this job.”
Video of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s opening statement is available here for TV Stations.
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