DOJ Pardon Attorney Faces Ethics Charges Over Georgetown DEI Threat

Ed Martin, the U.S. Department of Justice's pardon attorney and a former interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, faces ethics charges from the District of Columbia's Office of Disciplinary Counsel for sending a letter that threatened to withhold federal hiring opportunities from Georgetown University Law Center students over the school's diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The complaint, filed last Friday and made public on Tuesday, accuses Martin of misusing his official authority to coerce changes in the university's curriculum, raising concerns about the boundaries between government enforcement and academic freedom.

The incident stems from a February 17, 2025, letter Martin sent to then-Dean William Treanor while serving as interim U.S. attorney. In the correspondence, Martin cited information from a whistleblower alleging that Georgetown Law continued to promote and teach DEI initiatives, which he described as unacceptable. Without awaiting a response from the school, Martin instructed his office staff not to consider Georgetown students, fellows, or affiliates for jobs, internships, or other positions until the matter was resolved. The letter demanded...