Weaponization Working Group
| Founded | February 5, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To review instances of "politicized" prosecutions |
Director | Ed Martin |
The Weaponization Working Group is a working group of the Office of the Attorney General within the United States Department of Justice.
History
[edit]On February 5, 2025, hours after being sworn in as attorney general, Pam Bondi signed a memorandum establishing the Weaponization Working Group to review "politicized" prosecutions.[1] The working group involved the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, then led on an acting basis by Ed Martin, who praised the January 6 Capitol attack and repeated false claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election.[2]
In May 2025, amid pressure from Republicans in the Senate to withdraw Martin's nomination for United States attorney for the District of Columbia, president Donald Trump announced that Martin would serve as director of the Weaponization Working Group.[3] Martin outlined a strategy to shame individuals that cannot be charged with crimes at a press conference days later.[4]
Organization
[edit]The Weaponization Working Group is led by Ed Martin.[3] In July, The New York Times reported that Jared Wise, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent who was charged with encouraging the January 6 Capitol attack, had become a counselor to Martin.[5]
Responsibilities
[edit]Prosecutions against Trump
[edit]Pam Bondi's memorandum tasked the Weaponization Working Group with reviewing prosecutions against Donald Trump prior to his second inauguration, including the Smith special counsel investigation, his prosecution in New York, and the New York business fraud lawsuit against the Trump Organization.[1]
Other prosecutions
[edit]Bondi's memorandum ordered the working group to review potential "prosecutorial abuse" relating to criminal proceedings in the January 6 Capitol attack, anti-abortion protesters who obstructed access to facilities that perform abortions, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's alleged targeting of Catholics.[1] According to NBC News, Bondi ordered charges against Michael Kirk Moore, a Utah doctor indicted for allegedly selling fraudulent COVID-19 vaccine cards, after his prosecution was reviewed by the Weaponization Working Group.[6]
Responses
[edit]The establishment of the Weaponization Working Group marked a dramatic effort to utilize the United States federal government against perceived enemies of Donald Trump, according to The New York Times; Donald Voiret, the special agent who led the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Seattle field office and served as the bureau's attaché to London, criticized the working group as an attempt to politicize the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Mallin, Alexander (February 5, 2025). "Bondi, as new AG, launches 'Weaponization Working Group' to review officials who investigated Trump". ABC News. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ^ Sullivan, Eileen; Feuer, Alan; Berzon, Alexandra (February 8, 2025). "Advocate of Jan. 6 Rioters Now Runs Office That Investigated Them". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ^ a b Haberman, Maggie; Thrush, Glenn; Savage, Charlie (May 8, 2025). "Trump Names Jeanine Pirro as Interim U.S. Attorney in Washington". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ^ Reilly, Ryan (May 13, 2025). "DOJ 'weaponization' group will shame individuals it can't charge with crimes, new head says". NBC News. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ^ Feuer, Alan; Goldman, Adam (July 1, 2025). "Pardoned Jan. 6 Rioter Who Threatened Police Joins Justice Dept". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ^ Reilly, Ryan (July 14, 2025). "Pam Bondi dismissed charges in alleged Covid scam after the case had passed review for 'weaponization'". NBC News. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ^ Feuer, Alan; Goldman, Adam; Thrush, Glenn (February 6, 2025). "Justice Dept.'s Weaponization Group Underscores Trump's Quest for Retribution". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
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