An adviser to interim U.S. Attorney in Washington Ed Martin had a message for a Democratic strategist over a recent MSNBC appearance: “Careful son. Choose your words wisely.”
The message on X from Michael R. Caputo was to Andrew Bates, the former Biden White House deputy press secretary who now has his own political strategy firm.
During the MSNBC segment, Bates criticized Martin for firing FBI agents and prosecutors “because they investigated January 6th criminals.” He also attacked Martin as someone “who presented an award to a neo-Nazi who stormed the Capitol, and said he was an extraordinary leader.”
In an email response to Deadline about what he meant by his warning to Bates, Caputo sent a Webster’s Dictionary link to the word “defamation.” Caputo later repeated his warning to a post from another Democratic strategist, Chris D. Jackson.
Bates also is advising a group of prosecutors who oppose Martin’s nomination to be confirmed to the U.S. attorney post, in what already is a contentious battle. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has urged its chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley (D-IA), to hold a hearing on the nomination.
Among other things, Durbin wrote that at a Trump Bedminster Club ceremony last fall, Martin gave an award to Janaury 6th defendant Timothy Hale-Cusanelli and called him “an extraordinary man, an extraordinary leader.” Democrats also have posted video of Martin’s remarks at the event. In the January 6th case, prosecutors described Hale-Cusanelli as a Nazi sympathizer with a history of anti-semitic remarks. A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney did not immediately return a request for comment.
More recently, Durbin has cited reports that Martin did not disclose 150 appearances on Russian state TV in a Senate questionnaire. A Martin spokesperson later told The Washington Post that Martin “disclosed all the identified links” in supplemental letter to the Senate.
Caputo is a longtime Trump ally who described himself as a “smashmouth politician,” in a Politico profile, which detailed his battle with throat cancer. Martin told The New York Times this week about his hiring, “Because Michael has known President Trump for over 40 years, he’s uniquely positioned to help us make America great again.”
As interim U.S. attorney, Martin has fired off letters to various lawmakers and institutions on topics ranging from their diversity, equity and inclusion programs and Elon Musk’s DOGE. In February, Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) appeared on CNN to talk about how Democrats could challenge Elon Musk, the and lawmaker said, “What America wants is for us to bring actual weapons to this bar fight. This is an actual fight for democracy.” Martin sent Garcia a letter, asking him to clarify his comments and warning “we take threats against public officials very seriously.”
Garcia responded, “So if you criticize Elon Musk, Trump’s DOJ will send you this letter. Members of Congress must have the right to forcefully oppose the Trump Administration. I will not be silenced.”
Martin also has taken part in defending the administration against the Associated Press after Trump officials banned the news organization from the pool because its style guidance did not switch the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. That drew criticism that Martin was acting as the president’s personal lawyer rather than an official with the Justice Department.
Discover more from Latest News Today
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
