Trump's Departure Leaves a Legacy of Partisan Pardon Politics The departure of Ed Martin from his role as pardon attorney at the Department of Justice has raised more questions than answers about the intersection of politics and justice in the United States.
President Donald Trump announced that Martin is leaving to fight "legal battles" for the midterm and presidential elections, but this statement masks a complex web of events highlighting the deepening politicization of clemency decisions.
Martin's tenure as pardon attorney was marked by controversy from the start. His own history at the Justice Department was checkered, having previously served as U. S.