Judge Jeanine Pirro was sworn in Wednesday as the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, replacing Ed Martin after his nomination collapsed in the Senate over his controversial support for Jan. 6 defendants, The Washington Times reported.
Pirro, 73, a former judge and district attorney in Westchester County, New York, most recently appeared as a co-host on Fox News’ “The Five.”
As interim U.S. attorney, Pirro will lead one of the country’s most visible prosecutor’s offices, charged with handling federal civil litigation and criminal prosecutions within D.C.
Martin’s nomination ran into headwinds after key Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, particularly Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, withdrew support over Martin’s approach to Jan. 6 cases. Tillis, however, has signaled openness to backing Pirro should she be nominated for the role permanently.
Martin’s brief tenure was notable for his sweeping clemency recommendations to President Donald Trump. Martin advocated for pardons for more than 1,500 people convicted in the Capitol riot, two D.C. police officers involved in a fatal pursuit, and pro-life protesters imprisoned for blocking access to a clinic in Northwest D.C.
Martin will continue to serve as a pardon attorney for the Justice Department and as the head of the agency’s newly formed Weaponization Working Group, an entity established by Trump to investigate federal overreach during the Biden administration.
“I loved my job as D.C.’s U.S. attorney, but I am really going to love how Judge Jeanine Pirro takes up the mission with her passion and intelligence and real-world experience as a prosecutor and judge,” Martin said Tuesday. “She really is amazing. I have already been working with her.”
Martin’s exit comes amid scrutiny from the D.C. Office of Disciplinary Counsel, which is investigating him, according to an email obtained by Reuters. The specific focus of the probe has not been disclosed, though Martin alleges that the office violated confidentiality protocols by informing the Civil Division about the investigation.
“It is an outrage how they treat us, and I will continue the fight against the weaponization of our law licenses against us,” Martin wrote in an email, according to Reuters.