Justice Department pardon attorney Ed Martin has been hit with ethics charges by the body that enforces discipline for attorneys practicing in Washington, D.C., in yet another example of leftist lawfare.
The outspoken senior Trump administration official stands accused of misconduct and making threats against Georgetown University’s Law School over its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies when he was serving as the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia last year.
The complaint, which was filed on Friday before the D.C. Court of Appeals Board on Professional Responsibility, accuses Martin of violating his ethical codes as a lawyer over a letter to the Georgetown University Law Center raising questions about the discriminatory programs and telling the dean that his office would not hire the school’s students.
As a graduate of Georgetown Law, proud that Georgetown stood up to the illegal intimidation of trump sycophant Ed Martin.
Unlike some cowardly law firms and CEOs, Georgetown leaders fought back because they believed in the Constitution.
Now the DC Bar is investigating Martin. https://t.co/jICCHft4PG
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) March 10, 2026
“Acting in his official capacity and speaking on behalf of the government, he used coercion to punish or suppress a disfavored viewpoint, the teaching and promotion of DEI,” the filing says. “He demanded that Georgetown Law relinquish its free speech and religious rights in order to obtain a benefit, employment opportunities for its students.”
“Mr. Martin did not define ‘D.E.I.’ or specify what ideas Georgetown Law was teaching or promoting that the government deemed unacceptable,” the filing read, adding: “Without further explanation, and before even receiving a response, Mr. Martin announced in his Feb. 17 letter that he was imposing sanctions on Georgetown Law, its students or anyone affiliated with the school,”
The complaint, which was announced on Tuesday, was signed by Hamilton P. Fox III, who serves as the disciplinary counsel for the D.C. bar.
“Mr. Martin knew or should have known that, as a government official, his conduct violated the First and Fifth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States,” Fox wrote.
Martin could face serious sanctions or potentially lose his law license as a result of the complaint.
According to the New York Times, “The complaint is a significant escalation in the efforts to use state and local bars to punish lawyers in the Trump administration for purported violations of ethics rules in pursuit of the president’s aims. Last week, Attorney General Pam Bondi proposed a new rule to try to stall or delay bar associations from conducting such investigations into lawyers at the department.”
“Eagle Ed” is reviled by Democrats who torpedoed his chance to be the permanent U.S. attorney in D.C., an overflowing sewer of corruption.
Last year, that hatred manifested itself in an actual assault when Martin was spat on by an unhinged leftist.
This afternoon acting DC US Atty Ed Martin was spit on by a psychotic lib during our interview. Hope she’s ready for a nice stretch in jail. pic.twitter.com/2Y5hj41V0l
— Rob Schmitt (@SchmittNYC) May 8, 2025
“The DC bar’s attempt to target and punish those serving President Trump while refusing to investigate or act against actual ethical violations that were committed by Biden and Obama administration attorneys is a clear indication of this partisan organization’s agenda,” the Justice Department said in a statement accusing the D.C. Bar of being just another partisan organization.
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