“Weaponization of the justice”: Trump admin officially goes hard after popular Dem. California Senator, New York State’s top attorney
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has caused a political storm by naming Ed Martin as special attorney to look into claims of mortgage fraud against New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Senator Adam Schiff. The Federal Housing Agency (FHFA) sent separate cases to the Department of Justice (DOJ), which put both Democrats under a lot of legal and political scrutiny.
The FHFA became involved in April when it told the DOJ about James’s claims that she falsified mortgage documents to get better loan terms. The next month, FHFA Director Bill Pulte sent Schiff to the same place for similar claims about a property in Maryland. These two referrals in a row set the setting for a high-stakes investigation that might have effects well beyond the courtroom.
Martin has been in the news before. He used to be the head of the DOJ’s Weaponization Working Group. His appointment immediately drew sharp criticism from Schiff’s legal team, which questioned his impartiality. Preet Bharara, Schiff’s lawyer, called the move “the very definition of weaponization of the justice process,” pointing to Martin’s history of partisan disputes. Bharara pointed out that Schiff had already stopped Martin from being nominated for U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia because he had reservations about his “partisanship and unfitness.”
Bharara said in a statement that Martin is “a January 6-defending lawyer who has repeatedly pursued baseless and politically motivated investigations to fulfill demands to prosecute perceived enemies.” He said the prejudice in this appointment was “glaring” and warned that the case was just a political move.
Schiff has faced similar questions before. In 2023, a spokeswoman informed CNN that both of his homes in California and Maryland were classified as primary residences “for loan purposes because they are both occupied throughout the year and to distinguish them from a vacation property.” Bharara repeated that stance, saying the claims were “transparently false, stale, and long debunked.”
James, on the other hand, is already dealing with her own messy legal issues. Just recently, she got new subpoenas in New York related to her civil fraud cases against Donald Trump and the National Rifle Association. The new legal demands just make the pressure she is under worse.
By hiring a special lawyer, the investigation will stay in the public eye. Those who support the investigation say that the severe nature of the claims means that everyone, regardless of political party, should be able to see it through. But critics say the move is a planned effort to make two well-known Democrats seem bad before the next round of political fights.
The investigation into James and Schiff is certain to be a flashpoint in the larger argument over the politicization of the justice system, especially since tensions between the two parties are so high right now. The conclusion of the case could have big effects on everyone involved, as well as on the integrity of the institutions that are leading the effort, whether it finds wrongdoing or backs up charges of political targeting.
