Scandal-plagued Trump nominee for top D.C. prosecutor faces bipartisan pushback
MSNBC
[{'start': '0.240', 'end': '3.919', 'text': 'Have you heard the name Ed Martin? I'}, {'start': '2.560', 'end': '5.359', 'text': "know there's a lot of people to keep"}, {'start': '3.919', 'end': '7.919', 'text': "track of in Donald Trump's new"}, {'start': '5.359', 'end': '10.320', 'text': 'administration, but this guy is, I would'}, {'start': '7.919', 'end': '12.719', 'text': "say, a standout. I don't mean that in a"}, {'start': '10.320', 'end': '15.360', 'text': 'good way. He is the guy that Trump'}, {'start': '12.719', 'end': '18.080', 'text': 'appointed to be the US attorney for'}, {'start': '15.360', 'end': '20.560', 'text': "Washington DC. So, he's not yet Senate"}, {'start': '18.080', 'end': '23.840', 'text': "confirmed. Uh he's he's an acting right"}, {'start': '20.560', 'end': '26.880', 'text': 'now. He is to my mind completely'}, {'start': '23.840', 'end': '28.640', 'text': 'unqualified and truly a bit unhinged.'}, {'start': '26.880', 'end': '30.080', 'text': 'One of the things he is doing a lot of'}, {'start': '28.640', 'end': '32.000', 'text': 'since he got into that powerful office'}, {'start': '30.080', 'end': '33.440', 'text': 'basically day one as as the acting US'}, {'start': '32.000', 'end': '36.480', 'text': "attorney, not confirmed yet, he's trying"}, {'start': '33.440', 'end': '38.800', 'text': 'to be confirmed is this habit of firing'}, {'start': '36.480', 'end': '42.239', 'text': 'off these menacing letters all over the'}, {'start': '38.800', 'end': '44.480', 'text': 'place. For instance, to medical journals'}, {'start': '42.239', 'end': '46.600', 'text': 'from the New England Journal of Medicine'}, {'start': '44.480', 'end': '49.760', 'text': 'to the Journal of Statrics and'}, {'start': '46.600', 'end': '51.760', 'text': "Gynecology to Chest, that's a scientific"}, {'start': '49.760', 'end': '53.039', 'text': "journal for chest doctors. If I'm being"}, {'start': '51.760', 'end': '55.600', 'text': "honest, it's the first time I've ever"}, {'start': '53.039', 'end': '57.360', 'text': 'heard of it. In these letters, Martin'}, {'start': '55.600', 'end': '59.359', 'text': 'accuses the journals. This is the US'}, {'start': '57.360', 'end': '61.280', 'text': 'attorney, acting US attorney, accusing'}, {'start': '59.359', 'end': '62.920', 'text': 'the journals of bias and demands that'}, {'start': '61.280', 'end': '65.680', 'text': 'they report back to'}, {'start': '62.920', 'end': '67.840', 'text': 'him. This is the kind of thing Ed Martin'}, {'start': '65.680', 'end': '69.360', 'text': "does. It's sort of his thing. You might"}, {'start': '67.840', 'end': '70.960', 'text': 'recall that he sent a letter apparently'}, {'start': '69.360', 'end': '72.880', 'text': 'only on social media, threatening to'}, {'start': '70.960', 'end': '74.720', 'text': 'chase federal employees to the end of'}, {'start': '72.880', 'end': '76.799', 'text': 'the earth to hold them accountable for'}, {'start': '74.720', 'end': '78.720', 'text': "anyone pushing back on Elon Musk's"}, {'start': '76.799', 'end': '80.640', 'text': 'government efficiency folks were'}, {'start': '78.720', 'end': '82.640', 'text': 'flooding into agencies with barely any'}, {'start': '80.640', 'end': '84.640', 'text': 'notice.'}, {'start': '82.640', 'end': '87.119', 'text': 'This is someone, it would seem to me'}, {'start': '84.640', 'end': '89.280', 'text': 'based on these letters, who is under the'}, {'start': '87.119', 'end': '91.520', 'text': "impression that he he's lives in an"}, {'start': '89.280', 'end': '93.040', 'text': 'authoritarian state, not a free country,'}, {'start': '91.520', 'end': '95.200', 'text': 'where people with the policing power'}, {'start': '93.040', 'end': '96.880', 'text': "that he's been vested with get to just"}, {'start': '95.200', 'end': '99.759', 'text': 'impose their will on any institution'}, {'start': '96.880', 'end': '102.159', 'text': 'whatsoever, from, you know, the chest'}, {'start': '99.759', 'end': '103.920', 'text': 'journal to Georgetown Law School to'}, {'start': '102.159', 'end': '105.680', 'text': 'Wikipedia.'}, {'start': '103.920', 'end': '107.200', 'text': 'Now, the Senate Judiciary Committee has'}, {'start': '105.680', 'end': '109.280', 'text': "yet to vote to start Martin's"}, {'start': '107.200', 'end': '111.200', 'text': 'confirmation hearing, but Republican'}, {'start': '109.280', 'end': '113.119', 'text': 'Chair Chuck Grassley said today it is'}, {'start': '111.200', 'end': '115.399', 'text': 'not on the agenda because Republicans'}, {'start': '113.119', 'end': '118.240', 'text': 'still have questions, as they'}, {'start': '115.399', 'end': '120.000', 'text': 'should. And there is really just a'}, {'start': '118.240', 'end': '122.640', 'text': 'really long list of reasons not to'}, {'start': '120.000', 'end': '124.560', 'text': 'nominate this guy. At one point, for'}, {'start': '122.640', 'end': '127.520', 'text': 'instance, he was representing both sides'}, {'start': '124.560', 'end': '128.879', 'text': 'of some of the January 6 cases. Um, he'}, {'start': '127.520', 'end': '130.399', 'text': 'was still attorney of record of the'}, {'start': '128.879', 'end': '132.560', 'text': "defendants. That's what he was doing a"}, {'start': '130.399', 'end': '135.520', 'text': 'lot of before he became acting attorney,'}, {'start': '132.560', 'end': '137.520', 'text': 'US attorney, while he was also serving'}, {'start': '135.520', 'end': '140.640', 'text': 'as a prosecutor in the office seeking to'}, {'start': '137.520', 'end': '142.400', 'text': "dismiss the charges. And I think it's a"}, {'start': '140.640', 'end': '144.840', 'text': 'pretty obvious violation of legal ethics'}, {'start': '142.400', 'end': '147.360', 'text': 'to be on both sides of the same'}, {'start': '144.840', 'end': '148.800', 'text': 'case. Reuters reported that in an email'}, {'start': '147.360', 'end': '150.959', 'text': 'to staff, Martin said he had stopped'}, {'start': '148.800', 'end': '153.200', 'text': 'working on the cases and was quote under'}, {'start': '150.959', 'end': '154.959', 'text': 'the impression that I was off the cases.'}, {'start': '153.200', 'end': '157.599', 'text': 'but he still advocates to the January 6'}, {'start': '154.959', 'end': '159.560', 'text': 'riers, likening their cases to Japanese'}, {'start': '157.599', 'end': '162.879', 'text': 'interament under'}, {'start': '159.560', 'end': '166.360', 'text': "FDR. He's also tried to get his office"}, {'start': '162.879', 'end': '169.120', 'text': 'to essentially jin up baseless criminal'}, {'start': '166.360', 'end': '170.560', 'text': "investigations. It's a real serious no"}, {'start': '169.120', 'end': '172.160', 'text': 'against, for instance, climate'}, {'start': '170.560', 'end': '174.080', 'text': 'nonprofits. In fact, they were so'}, {'start': '172.160', 'end': '176.080', 'text': 'baseless that the senior career'}, {'start': '174.080', 'end': '178.400', 'text': 'prosecutor who was instructed to start'}, {'start': '176.080', 'end': '180.560', 'text': 'this investigation resigned rather than'}, {'start': '178.400', 'end': '182.879', 'text': 'carry out the demand. And so then Ed'}, {'start': '180.560', 'end': '184.560', 'text': 'Martin decided to try and submit a'}, {'start': '182.879', 'end': '186.560', 'text': 'warrant on his own. He was trying to'}, {'start': '184.560', 'end': '189.120', 'text': 'freeze the money these firm these uh'}, {'start': '186.560', 'end': '191.840', 'text': 'organizations had. That warrant that he'}, {'start': '189.120', 'end': '193.920', 'text': 'submitted by himself was rejected by a'}, {'start': '191.840', 'end': '196.080', 'text': 'US magistrate judge, something that very'}, {'start': '193.920', 'end': '198.000', 'text': 'rarely happens, who found the request'}, {'start': '196.080', 'end': '201.040', 'text': 'failed to establish a reasonable belief'}, {'start': '198.000', 'end': '203.840', 'text': 'that a crime occurred. Ed Martin has'}, {'start': '201.040', 'end': '207.519', 'text': 'also appeared on Russian television more'}, {'start': '203.840', 'end': '210.000', 'text': 'than 150 times, which does seem like a'}, {'start': '207.519', 'end': '214.159', 'text': 'lot, and now has been caught in another'}, {'start': '210.000', 'end': '217.200', 'text': "set of, let's say, um, statements that"}, {'start': '214.159', 'end': '219.760', 'text': 'test the boundaries of truth. Here he is'}, {'start': '217.200', 'end': '222.400', 'text': 'last July interviewing a man named Tim'}, {'start': '219.760', 'end': '224.239', 'text': 'Hail, who he describes as a January 6th'}, {'start': '222.400', 'end': '226.319', 'text': 'prisoner. Now, Hill might look'}, {'start': '224.239', 'end': '228.159', 'text': 'unremarkable there in that interview,'}, {'start': '226.319', 'end': '231.040', 'text': 'but here is what he looked like while on'}, {'start': '228.159', 'end': '233.920', 'text': 'duty as a naval contractor in April of'}, {'start': '231.040', 'end': '235.760', 'text': '2020, proudly wearing a Hitler mustache.'}, {'start': '233.920', 'end': '237.519', 'text': 'And that was not the only time that'}, {'start': '235.760', 'end': '240.319', 'text': 'Department of Justice recovered these'}, {'start': '237.519', 'end': '242.720', 'text': 'other pictures from his phone, posing'}, {'start': '240.319', 'end': '245.760', 'text': 'with his Hitler mustache along with'}, {'start': '242.720', 'end': '247.840', 'text': 'several pro- Hitler images.'}, {'start': '245.760', 'end': '249.840', 'text': 'Court filings noted that co-workers'}, {'start': '247.840', 'end': '252.640', 'text': 'remembered Hail ranting about Jewish'}, {'start': '249.840', 'end': '255.840', 'text': 'people and saying, and we quote here,'}, {'start': '252.640', 'end': '257.440', 'text': '"Hitler should have finished the job."'}, {'start': '255.840', 'end': '259.040', 'text': 'In written answers to the Senate'}, {'start': '257.440', 'end': '260.479', 'text': 'Judiciary Committee, Martin claimed,'}, {'start': '259.040', 'end': '262.800', 'text': '"Well, he just hadn\'t seen the pictures'}, {'start': '260.479', 'end': '264.320', 'text': 'of Hail with the Hitler mustache." I\'ll'}, {'start': '262.800', 'end': '266.400', 'text': 'say, "I think it\'s a little tough to'}, {'start': '264.320', 'end': '268.160', 'text': 'believe since even a very basic Google'}, {'start': '266.400', 'end': '271.280', 'text': 'search will turn up headlines that'}, {'start': '268.160', 'end': '273.840', 'text': "clearly lay out Hail's avowedly Nazi"}, {'start': '271.280', 'end': '275.600', 'text': 'sympathies." I\'m guessing I guess Martin'}, {'start': '273.840', 'end': '278.479', 'text': "didn't bother to look that up before"}, {'start': '275.600', 'end': '281.040', 'text': 'calling Hail quote an extraordinary man'}, {'start': '278.479', 'end': '286.320', 'text': 'and extraordinary leader at an award'}, {'start': '281.040', 'end': '286.320', 'text': "ceremony at Trump's Bedminster Club last"}, {'start': '286.360', 'end': '290.560', 'text': 'August. Ed Martin is currently running'}, {'start': '288.960', 'end': '293.360', 'text': 'one of the most powerful US attorneys'}, {'start': '290.560', 'end': '295.280', 'text': "offices in the country, but he can't"}, {'start': '293.360', 'end': '297.280', 'text': 'stay there indefinitely. He needs Senate'}, {'start': '295.280', 'end': '299.759', 'text': 'confirmation to continue in the job. And'}, {'start': '297.280', 'end': '301.280', 'text': 'now there is a big effort to stop him'}, {'start': '299.759', 'end': '304.240', 'text': 'from being confirmed. And we have some'}, {'start': '301.280', 'end': '304.240', 'text': 'major news on that'}, {'start': '304.280', 'end': '308.479', 'text': 'next. The nomination of Ed Martin to the'}, {'start': '306.800', 'end': '310.800', 'text': 'powerful position of US attorney in'}, {'start': '308.479', 'end': '312.880', 'text': 'Washington DC is sparking lots of'}, {'start': '310.800', 'end': '314.880', 'text': 'concern on Capitol Hill. Congressman'}, {'start': '312.880', 'end': '317.039', 'text': 'Jamie Rascin is calling for an FBI'}, {'start': '314.880', 'end': '318.960', 'text': 'investigation of Martin for failing to'}, {'start': '317.039', 'end': '321.600', 'text': 'disclose that he made over 150'}, {'start': '318.960', 'end': '323.919', 'text': 'appearances on Russian state TV and'}, {'start': '321.600', 'end': '325.199', 'text': 'radio, asking the FBI director to'}, {'start': '323.919', 'end': '327.280', 'text': "investigate whether Mr. Martin's"}, {'start': '325.199', 'end': '328.560', 'text': 'omissions were inadvertent or part of a'}, {'start': '327.280', 'end': '330.320', 'text': 'deliberate attempt to conceal his'}, {'start': '328.560', 'end': '332.240', 'text': 'extensive ties to Russian media and'}, {'start': '330.320', 'end': '333.520', 'text': 'intelligence operations. Writing, quote,'}, {'start': '332.240', 'end': '335.039', 'text': '"The Congress, the United States, and'}, {'start': '333.520', 'end': '337.039', 'text': 'the American people deserve a full'}, {'start': '335.039', 'end': '339.360', 'text': 'picture of Mr. Martin, his relationships'}, {'start': '337.039', 'end': '341.039', 'text': 'to Russia, and his political loyalties."'}, {'start': '339.360', 'end': '342.639', 'text': 'Congressman Jamie Raskin, Democrat of'}, {'start': '341.039', 'end': '345.039', 'text': 'Maryland, is ranking member of the'}, {'start': '342.639', 'end': '348.000', 'text': 'Judiciary Committee, and he joins me'}, {'start': '345.039', 'end': '349.840', 'text': 'now. I suspect, uh, Congressman, that'}, {'start': '348.000', 'end': '352.400', 'text': 'that the appearances on Russian state'}, {'start': '349.840', 'end': '354.639', 'text': 'television are not the only reason that'}, {'start': '352.400', 'end': '357.919', 'text': "you think, uh, Mr. Martin wouldn't be an"}, {'start': '354.639', 'end': '361.039', 'text': 'ideal candidate for this job.'}, {'start': '357.919', 'end': '364.720', 'text': "You're correct. He's been describing um"}, {'start': '361.039', 'end': '367.759', 'text': 'a neonazi Holocaust revisionist who'}, {'start': '364.720', 'end': '370.880', 'text': 'dresses up like Adolf Hitler and uh'}, {'start': '367.759', 'end': '375.440', 'text': 'gives himself a Hitler mustache as a'}, {'start': '370.880', 'end': '378.639', 'text': 'great man, a great leader, um a great'}, {'start': '375.440', 'end': '380.639', 'text': 'friend of his. uh and he defended him'}, {'start': '378.639', 'end': '383.039', 'text': 'even when it was brought to attention'}, {'start': '380.639', 'end': '386.080', 'text': 'that this was a guy who said that Hitler'}, {'start': '383.039', 'end': '388.319', 'text': 'should have finished the job and that uh'}, {'start': '386.080', 'end': '390.800', 'text': 'babies born with disabilities should be'}, {'start': '388.319', 'end': '393.680', 'text': 'shot in the head. All of those things'}, {'start': '390.800', 'end': '395.440', 'text': 'were brought uh directly to Ed Martin,'}, {'start': '393.680', 'end': '397.520', 'text': "Donald Trump's nominee to be the US"}, {'start': '395.440', 'end': '399.919', 'text': 'attorney for the District of Columbia.'}, {'start': '397.520', 'end': '403.680', 'text': 'And instead of answering those questions'}, {'start': '399.919', 'end': '406.400', 'text': 'or rebuking his friend Hail Kusenelli'}, {'start': '403.680', 'end': '408.479', 'text': 'for having said these things, he instead'}, {'start': '406.400', 'end': '411.000', 'text': 'attacks the National Public Radio,'}, {'start': '408.479', 'end': '414.639', 'text': 'calling it uh government paid'}, {'start': '411.000', 'end': '417.280', 'text': 'propaganda. Um this person is absolutely'}, {'start': '414.639', 'end': '419.360', 'text': 'unfit to be a United States attorney in'}, {'start': '417.280', 'end': '421.280', 'text': 'the Department of Justice. uh without'}, {'start': '419.360', 'end': '424.319', 'text': 'even getting into the point that he'}, {'start': '421.280', 'end': '429.160', 'text': "suppressed the fact that he'd been a"}, {'start': '424.319', 'end': '432.880', 'text': 'regular uh a regular guest for Russian'}, {'start': '429.160', 'end': '437.280', 'text': 'propaganda TV and said lots of proutin'}, {'start': '432.880', 'end': '440.000', 'text': 'things um over an 8-year period.'}, {'start': '437.280', 'end': '442.080', 'text': '100 150 appearances is not like a not'}, {'start': '440.000', 'end': '444.880', 'text': "like a hit here and there. Um, that's"}, {'start': '442.080', 'end': '446.880', 'text': "like essentially a That's like That's"}, {'start': '444.880', 'end': '448.960', 'text': "like if I was It's as if I were"}, {'start': '446.880', 'end': '450.319', 'text': 'nominated to go in the cabinet and I'}, {'start': '448.960', 'end': '453.599', 'text': "just failed to mention that I'd ever"}, {'start': '450.319', 'end': '455.599', 'text': 'been on MSNBC. Yes. Exactly. So, yeah.'}, {'start': '453.599', 'end': '458.639', 'text': 'So, and I think one of the things about'}, {'start': '455.599', 'end': '460.000', 'text': 'Mr. Martin that I find troubling is um'}, {'start': '458.639', 'end': '461.759', 'text': 'other people who are nominated for the'}, {'start': '460.000', 'end': '462.880', 'text': "position don't already hold it. And so,"}, {'start': '461.759', 'end': '464.319', 'text': "at some level, it's a little"}, {'start': '462.880', 'end': '467.039', 'text': 'speculative. Well, what will they do in'}, {'start': '464.319', 'end': '470.479', 'text': 'the job? In this case, he was named the'}, {'start': '467.039', 'end': '471.919', 'text': 'acting uh on day one. And I have to say'}, {'start': '470.479', 'end': '473.520', 'text': "these letters he's been sending. Here's"}, {'start': '471.919', 'end': '475.280', 'text': 'an, you know, uh, three different'}, {'start': '473.520', 'end': '477.599', 'text': 'medical journals, the the Journal of'}, {'start': '475.280', 'end': '479.599', 'text': 'Chess Medicine, I want you to respond to'}, {'start': '477.599', 'end': '481.680', 'text': 'the US attorney about whether you have'}, {'start': '479.599', 'end': '483.440', 'text': 'bias. Uh, get back to me on that.'}, {'start': '481.680', 'end': '484.879', 'text': 'Georgetown Law School. You have to tell'}, {'start': '483.440', 'end': '486.960', 'text': "me how you're instructing your kids."}, {'start': '484.879', 'end': '488.319', 'text': 'This is Wikipedia. He sent a letter to'}, {'start': '486.960', 'end': '490.080', 'text': 'the nonprofit that runs Wikipedia'}, {'start': '488.319', 'end': '491.840', 'text': 'accusing the taxexempt organization of'}, {'start': '490.080', 'end': '493.919', 'text': 'allowing foreign actors to manipulate'}, {'start': '491.840', 'end': '495.680', 'text': 'information and spread propaganda to the'}, {'start': '493.919', 'end': '497.680', 'text': 'American public. I mean, I have to say'}, {'start': '495.680', 'end': '499.280', 'text': 'these letters strike me as as flatly'}, {'start': '497.680', 'end': '501.440', 'text': "authoritarian as anything we've seen"}, {'start': '499.280', 'end': '503.280', 'text': 'from the Trump administration. And one'}, {'start': '501.440', 'end': '504.879', 'text': 'does have to wonder if he were actually'}, {'start': '503.280', 'end': '507.560', 'text': 'confirmed what he would be doing with'}, {'start': '504.879', 'end': '510.160', 'text': 'the prosecutorial'}, {'start': '507.560', 'end': '512.560', 'text': 'power. I mean, he calls the hundreds of'}, {'start': '510.160', 'end': '515.039', 'text': "lawyers who work at the US Attorney's"}, {'start': '512.560', 'end': '517.279', 'text': 'Office, which is a pretty venerated uh'}, {'start': '515.039', 'end': '520.880', 'text': "office of prosecutors, the president's"}, {'start': '517.279', 'end': '523.360', 'text': 'lawyers. um and he has openly said that'}, {'start': '520.880', 'end': '524.800', 'text': 'his job is to go out there and attack'}, {'start': '523.360', 'end': '527.120', 'text': 'the critics of the president. I have'}, {'start': '524.800', 'end': '530.160', 'text': 'colleagues in Congress who received'}, {'start': '527.120', 'end': '532.640', 'text': 'threatening letters for from uh Mr.'}, {'start': '530.160', 'end': '534.399', 'text': 'Martin um in his first days in office.'}, {'start': '532.640', 'end': '536.640', 'text': 'One of the first things he did was to'}, {'start': '534.399', 'end': '538.800', 'text': 'dismiss cases against his own'}, {'start': '536.640', 'end': '540.720', 'text': 'defendants, that is rather his own'}, {'start': '538.800', 'end': '543.279', 'text': 'clients, people who were criminal'}, {'start': '540.720', 'end': '546.640', 'text': 'defendants in the January 6 case. He was'}, {'start': '543.279', 'end': '549.760', 'text': 'there on January 6th and he experienced'}, {'start': '546.640', 'end': '552.800', 'text': 'the events of the day as Marty Gro he'}, {'start': '549.760', 'end': '555.440', 'text': 'said in a tweet that he sent out as he'}, {'start': '552.800', 'end': '557.760', 'text': 'observed the mass violence against our'}, {'start': '555.440', 'end': '560.000', 'text': 'police officers, the attempt to storm'}, {'start': '557.760', 'end': '561.680', 'text': 'the capital, the storming of the capital'}, {'start': '560.000', 'end': '563.839', 'text': 'and then the attempt to overthrow the'}, {'start': '561.680', 'end': '566.160', 'text': 'election as Marty Gro. It was a big day'}, {'start': '563.839', 'end': '569.040', 'text': 'of celebration for him and he has'}, {'start': '566.160', 'end': '571.120', 'text': 'partaken of every form of January 6'}, {'start': '569.040', 'end': '574.080', 'text': 'deniialism and conspiracy theory out'}, {'start': '571.120', 'end': '577.399', 'text': 'there. like the FBI director as well,'}, {'start': '574.080', 'end': '577.399', 'text': 'Cash Patel.'}]