Ed Martin has made some controversial moves since taking over as D.C.’s top prosecutor, including firing attorneys who prosecuted Jan. 6 defendants. He spoke with Southeast D.C. residents didn’t hold back his conservative views. News4’s Mark Segraves reports.
Ed Martin, the interim U.S. attorney for D.C., has made some controversial moves since he took over as the District’s top prosecutor, including firing attorneys who prosecuted Jan. 6 defendants.
In one of his first public appearances since being named to his new position, Marin spoke to residents in Southeast D.C. on Tuesday and didn’t hold back on his conservative policies and views.
At the monthly meeting of the Anacostia Coordinating Council, Martin said he would work with community members.
“You’re the experts on what’s happening in the community, what’s happening to your family, your businesses and your schools and your futures, and we need to listen to that more,” he said.
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DC gun crime and youth crime
Martin told the crowd he’s following through on his pledge to get tough on gun crime in D.C.
“We have an initiative called Make D.C. Safe Again, and about three weeks ago we started that initiative and we decided we would charge more gun crimes in federal District Court. In just about three weeks – two-and-a-half weeks – we’ve charged 18 new cases in federal District Court, and we intend to put people who are committing crimes in our community, especially with guns, we’re gonna get them off the streets,” he said.
When Martin was asked a basic question about guns in D.C., though, he came up short.
“How many gun shops does D.C. have?” he was asked.
“I don’t know the answer. Do you know?” he replied.
“It’s none!” members of the crowd said.
On the topic of youth crime, Martin pointed some blame at D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb.
“I'm surprised that we have not had a more serious conversation about how to help those kids, because they're being used and churned back into the system, and I don't think that that's a crisis enough. I don't think the attorney general has a real plan for that going forward,” he said.
He had positive things to say about his relationship with D.C. Chief of Police Pamela Smith.
Firing Jan. 6 prosecutors
Martin was asked about his firing of prosecutors who worked on the Jan. 6 convictions.
“We’ve got kids getting killed by stray gunfire. We’ve got kids getting killed, toddlers getting killed, by stray gunfire, and we’re going to have a debate about who thinks what about highly paid lawyers and where they work?” he said.
Immigration and the USAID shutdown
On immigration and the Trump administration shutting down USAID, he said, “I have nothing against people from other countries, but I think illegal immigration takes a lot away from our people, and we need to be honest about that.”
“When USAID sent hundreds of millions of dollars to Central Africa, didn't you ask, ‘Why don't you send it to 7D?’” he said.
“No!” members of the crowd responded.
“I did,” Martin said.
The DC budget cut looming ahead of a House vote
He said he’s urging House Republicans to fix the $1 billion budget cut that was included in the recent legislation that kept the federal government from shutting down.
“I made a phone call to the speaker of the House saying we need that funding. That would be taking funding that we need for our city. That was following the lead of the mayor and the city council. He said he’s going to work it out. It’s gonna be worked out. I mean, we’re not gonna lose that money, and we shouldn’t,” he said.
While Martin was open to questions from the community, as he left, he refused to take any questions from reporters.
“Just refer to our press office,” he said.
As for Martin’s comments about Schwalb, the attorney general, a spokesperson for his office said in a statement: “OAG uses every legal tool available to reduce crime across DC. That comprehensive effort includes prosecuting every serious violent juvenile offense when there is sufficient evidence to do so.”
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