Donald Trump's Confidant Leaves Department of Justice to Focus on Elections

Ed Martin, a long-time ally and loyalist of US President Donald Trump, is leaving the US Department of Justice to focus on legal battles related to the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 presidential election.

According to the AP news agency, the US President announced Martin's departure on Friday, noting that he is expected to continue working for the Republican Party outside the administration.

Martin served as the Pardon Attorney for the Department of Justice, after serving for a short period as the acting federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia. He is considered one of Donald Trump's most loyal allies, and the President praised his work and his commitment to the administration's legal and political battles.

According to Donald Trump, Martin will leave the department to deal with what the President defined as "legal battles" related to the upcoming elections. The move comes at a time when Donald Trump is increasing his involvement in the election campaign ahead of the midterm elections in November, in which Republicans will compete for control of Congress.

Martin held a series of positions at the Department of Justice since Donald Trump's return to the White House. Among other things, he headed a working group that examined what Donald Trump and his allies defined as the "takeover" or "politicization" of the judicial system, and as part of his duties, he also dealt with cases related to the President's political rivals.

He was also involved in handling the cases of those accused in the January 6 Capitol riots, after Donald Trump granted pardons and sentence reductions to a large number of participants in the riots.

His conduct often sparked controversy within the Department of Justice. Among other things, he was criticized for unusual steps and working methods that caused tension with senior officials in the department. Eventually, his influence within the department was reduced and he moved to the position of Pardon Attorney.

Martin's transition from the government to legal and political activity allows him to act more directly in the party arena ahead of the elections. At the same time, the move raises new questions regarding the extent of the involvement of Donald Trump and his allies in the legal battles surrounding the election system.

Now, as the elections for Congress approach, he is expected to direct his legal experience and political connections to the battles that are expected to take place around the elections — an area that Donald Trump himself has marked as one of the central focuses for the coming years.