US Attorney’s Nomination In Jeopardy After Key GOP Senator Comes Out Against Him

Interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia Ed Martin’s nomination to serve as DC’s top prosecutor is in serious jeopardy after Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis suggested he will vote against the attorney’s confirmation.

Tillis said Tuesday that he told the White House he is currently opposed to Martin’s nomination, citing disagreements with the interim DC attorney over the January 6th prosecutions while conceding that some J6 defendants were over-prosecuted. President Donald Trump on Monday evening urged Senate Republicans to confirm Martin, but Tillis’ opposition could potentially deal a fatal blow to the attorney’s prospects.

“I’ve indicated to the White House I wouldn’t support his nomination,” Tillis told reporters Tuesday following his meeting with Martin the previous evening. “Where we probably have a difference is that I think anybody that breached the perimeter should have been in prison for some period of time — whether it’s 30 days or three years is debatable, but I have no tolerance for anybody that entered the building on January 6th and that’s probably where most of the friction was.”

Tillis sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is the panel responsible for processing Martin’s nomination. With Tillis expected to vote against Martin at the committee level, the interim DC attorney would likely fail to advance to the Senate floor with a deadlocked 11-11 vote.

Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn, another key vote on the judiciary panel, announced his support for Martin on Tuesday.

“When he comes up for a vote, I intend to support him,” Cornyn, who is facing a competitive primary challenge, told reporters. “I tend to defer to the president on his choices.”

“He’s entitled to some deference on his choices,” the Texas senator added. “What happens after this is out of my hands.”

The Senate Judiciary Committee has yet to notice a vote on Martin’s nomination.