Department of Justice Pardon Attorney Ed Martin was accused by the Disciplinary Counsel of the D.C. Bar of ethical violations as a result of a threatening letter he sent to Georgetown Law School last February. This accusation comes days after the Justice Department proposed a new regulation that would stall or delay state bars’ disciplinary investigations.
In his former position as interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Martin sent a letter accusing the law school of teaching and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), without defining or specifying which ideas the government deemed unacceptable.
The Trump administration as a whole moved to eliminate “harmful” DEI initiatives across college campuses beginning in January 2025, arguing such a move would end illegal discrimination and cut spending.
The filings made against Martin on March 6 in the D.C. Court of Appeals’ Board on Professional Responsibility by Hamilton “Phil” Fox III stated that the letter violated constitutional protections granted by the first and fifth amendments for free speech and due process.
“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 court filing states. “He demanded that Georgetown Law relinquish its free speech and religious rights in order to obtain a benefit, employment opportunities for its students.”
Martin also contacted the chief judge and senior judges of the D.C. Court of Appeals following the initial ethics complaint, requesting an in-person meeting to “find a way forward.” This ex parte communication resulted in an additional charge for “engaging in conduct that seriously interferes with the administration of justice.”
Martin will have 20 days to respond to the charges and could face sanctions as severe as the suspension or revocation of his law license.
Throughout his time as interim U.S. attorney for D.C., Martin faced criticism for publicizing investigations and targeting President Trump’s political opponents. He reportedly sent repeated letters to members of Congress and other institutions, including Georgetown Law School, who received the letter on Feb. 17, 2025.
Martin announced in the letter that he would be imposing sanctions on Georgetown Law and its students, refusing to employ anyone affiliated as fellows, interns, or employees in the U.S. attorney’s office in D.C. as long as the university continued to “teach and utilize DEI.”
The law school’s former dean, William Treanor, told Martin that the letter was “an attack on the University’s mission as a Jesuit and Catholic institution.”
The Justice Department proposed a new regulation on March 5, just one day prior to the filing, requesting that state investigations be paused before Attorney General Pam Bondi completes her own probe. These investigations may still result in disbarment, however, the process could take years to complete.
The notice cited “political activists” using bar complaints to target Department of Justice lawyers and labeled state bars’ investigations of these complaints as “troubling.”
Martin now serves as an attorney in the Justice Department after failing to receive enough Senate votes to permanently serve as U.S. attorney for D.C.. As pardon attorney, he administers the executive clemency process and advises the president in giving second chances to those who have been convicted of federal offenses.
In response to his recent charges, the Justice Department has accused the D.C. Bar of being a partisan organization.
“The D.C. 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,” Emily Covington, a spokesperson for the Justice Department, said.
