A feud erupted Thursday between North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis and Department of Justice official Ed Martin, sparking a public exchange of accusations that highlights growing friction between the Senate and the Trump administration.
The conflict began following a Politico report detailing Tillis’s intent to scrutinize future presidential appointees.
Tillis, who recently successfully pressured the DOJ to drop a probe into Fed Chair Jerome Powell, told reporters he intends to apply a strict “Martin standard” for the next Attorney General nominee.
Tillis stated he would block any candidate who had previously excused the January 6th Capitol riot. In the interview, Tillis also questioned Martin’s current employment status, asking, “By the way, I don’t think Martin is employed by the DOJ anymore, either, is he?”
READ: Oil Prices Explode To Four-Year High As Hormuz Blockade Holds Firm
Martin, a “Stop the Steal” organizer who returned to the DOJ as a pardon attorney after his nomination for U.S. Attorney was blocked by GOP senators, responded on social media.
Initially posting from his official account before moving to his personal one, Martin questioned the Senator’s mental acuity.
“Hey @SenThom Tillis: are you ok? Having memory issues for retirement? You called me on my cell phone recently to block a pardon for one of your constituents. Remember?” Martin wrote.
In a follow-up post, Martin accused Tillis of making disparaging remarks regarding the death of Ashli Babbitt, claiming the Senator said she “deserved it” in front of witnesses.
Martin concluded his post by telling the Senator to “just go to Hell” and used the hashtag #DrainTheSwamp, adding, “MAGA doesn’t forget losers!”
Tillis quickly clarified the nature of the phone call mentioned by Martin, identifying the constituent in question as Greg Lindberg.
“Ed Martin is correct about one thing,” Tillis said. “The ‘constituent’ I opposed pardoning was Greg Lindberg, who was convicted of defrauding North Carolinians to the tune of billions of dollars and attempting to bribe public officials. Keep up the great work, Ed.”
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
