Trump-appointed interim U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., Ed Martin has demoted several senior prosecutors who worked on high-profile cases related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and Trump allies, including Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro.
The decision, which permanently reassigns at least seven experienced prosecutors to handling low-level misdemeanors in D.C. Superior Court, has raised concerns about potential political interference in the Department of Justice (DOJ).
According to reports from Reuters and Bloomberg Law, Martin justified the demotions by stating in an internal email that he must assess the needs of his office to meet the goals set by the President and Attorney General.
“To that end, I must assign attorneys where I assess there is need and where I believe each AUSA can contribute,” Martin wrote in an email obtained by Bloomberg Law. “Let me be clear: this change is not temporary.”
Among those demoted are Kathryn Rakoczy, who prosecuted key members of the Oath Keepers, including founder Stewart Rhodes; Elizabeth Aloi, who led the prosecution of Navarro; John Crabb, who handled Bannon’s case; and Jason McCullough, who helped convict Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio.
Both Navarro and Bannon were sentenced to four months in jail for contempt of Congress, while Rhodes and Tarrio were convicted on seditious conspiracy charges related to the Capitol riot. Legal experts view the reassignments as an apparent effort to undermine accountability for those involved in the attack on democracy.
Martin, a known conservative activist and 2020 election denier, was nominated by Trump last month for the permanent U.S. Attorney role. In January, he also oversaw the pardoning of hundreds of Capitol rioters and terminated prosecutors who had recently been converted from temporary to permanent positions just before Trump’s inauguration.
A former federal prosecutor, speaking anonymously to CNN, called the move “inconceivable” and unprecedented. Another source suggested the decision was “meant to get them to quit.”
The demotions come amid broader concerns about political influence over the Justice Department.
Just last week, Martin sparked backlash after referring to DOJ attorneys as “President Trump’s lawyers” in a post on X (formerly Twitter), following the administration’s decision to bar The Associated Press from certain White House events.
A community note on the post clarified that the DOJ represents the United States in legal matters, not the President personally.
Martin’s actions have fueled criticism that the DOJ is being used to serve Trump’s political interests rather than uphold impartial justice.
With ongoing investigations and trials stemming from the January 6 insurrection, the reshuffling of prosecutors raises significant concerns about the future of these cases and the broader implications for legal accountability in the U.S. justice system.
