Washington, D.C
Trump's D.C. Prosecutor Declares: 'We Will Protect DOGE'
Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as the permanent top federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia is promising to use the full breadth of his powers to “protect DOGE” and “hold accountable those who threaten workers.”
In an email obtained by Rolling Stone, former “Stop the Steal” organizer turned interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin claimed that members of Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) were receiving “despicable” threats.
“We are the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s office; we are the guardians of federal workers. You and I must do whatever possible to ensure that government work is safe for all involved,” Martin wrote Wednesday, as his boss dubiously and unceremoniously fires tens of thousands of federal workers en masse, with little oversight, accountability, or rationale.
“We must protect our cops, our prosecutors, our DOGE workers, the President, and all other government employees from threats against our nation,” Martin added.
The attorney cited a 2020 speech from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) delivered as the Supreme Court considered an abortion rights case, in which the senator addressed conservative members of the court, telling them that they had “released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”
Schumer later clarified that the comments referred to political repercussions for their actions, but Republicans portrayed the remarks as an incitement of violence against conservative members of the Supreme Court. In his email, Martin cited the incident as “one of the most abhorrent examples” of threats against government officials in recent memory, and suggested he had opened an investigation into Schumer. “I reached out to Senator Schumer to investigate his threats. He has not yet responded to me,” he wrote.
Martin added that he would be naming his efforts to clamp down on “threats” against federal workers after a line in Schumer’s speech: “Operation Whirlwind.”
“My initiative to hold accountable those who threaten workers is named Operation Whirlwind. We will stop the storm of threats against officials at all levels,” Martin wrote, adding that he was planning a meeting with “our Threat Portal team” to discuss next steps.
Earlier this month, Martin wrote a letter to Musk vowing that his office would “pursue any and all legal action against anyone who impedes your work or threatens your people.”
“We will not act like the previous administration who looked the other way as the Antifa and BLM rioters as well as thugs with guns trashed our capital city. We will protect DOGE and other workers no matter what,” he wrote.
Martin did not provide specific examples of threats against DOGE workers. What is clear is that throughout his career, Martin has crafted an extremely selective — and politically convenient — definition of what constitutes a threat of violence.
Martin — who previously defended Jan. 6 rioters and who is now at the forefront of Trump’s efforts to use the Justice Department to rewrite the history of the Capitol insurrection — did not, for some reason, cite Trump’s instigation of the Jan. 6 assault as an example of a politician’s rhetoric leading to attacks on government officials.
Instead, Martin lamented in the email that his office has been “flooded with threats against those who helped free the Jan. 6 prisoners.” While Martin waxed about “protecting” cops and law enforcement officials, he had no issue with Trump’s blanket pardon for Jan. 6 defendants who assaulted law enforcement officials and threatened lawmakers with death. In fact, upon his appointment as interim D.C. U.S. attorney, Martin fired dozens of DOJ prosecutors involved in bringing Jan. 6 cases to trial.
Martin’s actions are just some examples of Trump delivering on a core 2024 campaign promise: to erase as much of the Department of Justice’s independence as possible, and then to use the department as a tool for protecting his friends and attacking his political enemies.
During the 2024 campaign, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter, Trump repeatedly told close associates that if he returned to power, he’d ensure his new Justice Department launched a wave of reviews of ongoing criminal cases and prosecutions of “our people.” He wasn’t just talking about the Jan. 6 rioters’ cases, or the famous federal criminal cases against him and his allies; he was also explicitly talking about cases against Republican Party or Trump-friendly figures — cases that had absolutely nothing to do with Trump or Jan. 6. In private conversation, he’d baselessly claim these probes were Democratic retaliation for their proximity to Trump and therefore “illegal.”
During the four years of Joe Biden’s presidency, an array of conservative lawyers and top Trump advisers spent an inordinate amount of time cooking up increasingly novel legal theories and blueprints for how to wield the Justice Department against Trump’s foes, particularly the prosecutors who crossed him, including Alvin Bragg, Fani Willis, Jack Smith, and Letitia James. One such idea, according to two other sources familiar with the matter, was to potentially sic the DOJ civil rights division on some of these prosecutors and Trump nemeses — under the premise that the prosecutors had violated Trump’s civil rights.
About a month after the 2024 presidential election, Trump announced that he would nominate one of his own lawyers, Harmeet Dhillon, for the DOJ role of Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. He also nominated staunch ally Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general, before Gaetz pulled his name from contention amid a firestorm of scrutiny around a congressional probe into his alleged sexual relationship with a minor. Trump then nominated Pam Bondi, one of his impeachment lawyers, to fill the role.
Bondi was confirmed and sworn in earlier this month. Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday directing independent government agencies to abide by his and Bondi’s interpretation of the law — not that of the court system.
4 things to know about the weather:
- So Many Clouds
- Not Too Much Rain
- Milder For The Weekend
- Warmer Days Next Week
The dividing line between the 50s and the 70s is a cold front that has been wedged right down into our area by high pressure anchored over New England. East winds will bring our air off the ocean and Bay and both of those bodies of water are COLD this time of year.
Afternoon highs will stay in the 40s near the Bay, should reach the low/mid 50s near DC and could be near 60° west of Fredericksburg.
Very little sunshine today but not too much of a rain chance. Clouds, fog and 40s for all tonight.
Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.
A developing storm over the Ohio Valley will finally begin to push that high pressure away tomorrow. Our afternoon highs will be dependent on how soon our wind can turn around to the Southwest.
Plan for a cloudy and chilly Saturday morning with a big jump in temperatures by mid-afternoon. Northern and Northeastern Maryland will remain cooler, but the rest of the area should pop above 70° for the first time this year.
The aforementioned storm will send a front through our area Saturday night. That front will bring a round of showers along with it. Showers will be likely Saturday evening and night.
The majority of that rain chance will be ending before noon on Sunday and the return of a little sun on Sunday afternoon should warm most areas to near 70° once again.
The first few days of next week will feel more like May than March. Highs on Monday should be near 75° and both Tuesday and Wednesday could top 80°. That warm pattern won’t last long, but it sure will feel good.
QuickCast
TODAY:
Mostly Cloudy
Coolest Along, East Of I-95
Isolated Showers
Wind: East 5-15 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 48° to 62°
TONIGHT:
Cloudy And Damp
Isolated Showers
Areas Of Fog
Wind: East 5-10 mph
Chance Of Rain: 20%
LOWS: 40° to 45°
SATURDAY:
Partly To Mostly Cloudy
Breezy And Warmer
Isolated Showers
Wind: Southwest 10-20 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 65° to 75°
SUNDAY:
Partly Sunny
AM: Showers Likely
PM: Dry For Most
Wind: Northwest 5-15 mph
Chance of Rain: 40%
HIGHS: 64° to 72°
MONDAY:
Sun And Clouds
Nice And Mild
Light Breeze
Wind: Variable 5 mph
Chance of Rain: 0%
HIGHS: 66° to 72°
Sunrise: 6:33 Sunset: 6:06
Average High: 53° Average Low: 36°
Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.
4 things to know about the weather:
- Grab the umbrella
- Big temperature ranges
- Thunder possible Thursday night
- Warmer days on the way
Heads up commuters! For Thursday morning, there will be some thick fog in spots with some rain possible, especially around the Mason-Dixon line. The fog should clear out by 10 a.m.
Throughout the day, some sunshine should develop with highs warming into the low 60s. Those in Northern Maryland could see some showers throughout the day but those near the D.C. area will stay relatively dry except for a stray shower or two.
Some rain and evening storms by 8 p.m. will impact the area Thursday night. Although it’s a bit unusual for this time of year, don’t be surprised if you hear thunder Thursday evening.
Warmer temperatures coming this weekend
These next few days will come with some major forecast challenges.
Much, much warmer air is just to our south and cold, high pressure is moving into New England. The front separating the 40s from the 70s will be laying right across our region for the next two to three days.
So keep in mind, when you’re looking at the forecast highs in the text below, that it will be warmest in Fredericksburg, VA and coolest in northern Maryland.
Friday’s weather will be similar as a front system remains just over the area, separating chilly air to the north and warmer air to the south. There might be a stray shower or two, too.
For the weekend, Saturday looks to be the warmer of the two days with highs in the low to mid 70s. Some rain overnight Saturday will lead to cooler temperatures on Sunday.
Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.
QuickCast
THURSDAY:
Mostly Cloudy
Stray Shower Possible
Big Temperature Range
Wind: Southeast 5 mph
Chance of Rain: 40%
HIGHS: 62° to 72°
THURSDAY NIGHT:
Cloudy And Chilly
Rain Likely
Some Thunder Possible
Wind: Northeast 5 mph
Chance Of Rain: 70%
LOWS: 44° to 54°
FRIDAY:
Mostly Cloudy
Cooler For Most
Isolated Shower Or Two
Wind: East 5-15 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 52° to 68°
SATURDAY:
Partly Sunny
Breezy And Warmer
Isolated Shower
Wind: Southwest 10-20 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 66° to 78°
SUNDAY:
Mostly Cloudy
Cooler
Few Showers Possible
Wind: Northwest 5-15 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 64° to 72°
Sunrise: 6:35 Sunset: 6:05
Average High: 53° Average Low: 36°
Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.
WASHINGTON (7News) — D.C. taxpayers may be confused by back-and-forth between the D.C. City Council and Congress over taxprovision. The city’s financial officer sent a letter to Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson, that said the District’s tax laws will not change, despite recent actions by Congress.
7News spoke to director of Tax Policy at the Center for American Progress Corey Husak to explain the complicated tax policy.
“The short answer is, nothing changes. Filing Season can continue as it has been, continue as planned, and according to the laws as we understood them in January,” said Husak.
“If you’ve already filed your taxes, you don’t have to change anything. And if you want to file your taxes, the rules are still the same as they were on the books before,” said Husak.
RELATED | DC Council Chairman talks taxes, budget, bodycams, federal surge
Chief Financial Officer Glen Lee’s revenue estimate issued Friday does not include an estimated $180 million expected this fiscal year from the city’s decoupling law, “due to the uncertainty of the associated revenue as a result of Joint Resolution 142,” according to a released letter.
“The CFO was in a tough spot here. If he agreed with Congress, then businesses and overtime workers will get bigger refunds. But if he agreed with the Mayor and the Attorney General, then families with children and lower income workers would get bigger tax cuts,” said Husak.
SEE MORE | Development of new Commanders stadium scrutinized at DC oversight hearing
“We as District residents can’t control, you know what happens in the courts, what happens in, you know, what Congress does in the future,” said Husak. “But for now, the CFO has said, you know this is, this is a law as it stands, and the law that I’m going to enforce so, you know, file your legally obligated taxes, and maybe in the future, there’ll be a surprise.”
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW
7News spoke to director of Tax Policy at the Center for American Progress Corey Husak to explain the complicated tax policy (7News).{ }
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