Washington D.C.’s top prosecutor announces election fraud probe, though authority unclear

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By Sarah N. Lynch

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump’s top federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., on Monday announced a new push to investigate election fraud cases, according to an internal email seen by Reuters, though it was not clear how much power his office will have to do so.

Ed Martin, the interim U.S. attorney who has echoed Trump’s false claims of a stolen 2020 election, told staff he was creating a new office called the Special Unit Election Accountability, and asked for volunteers to staff it.

“Americans do not have confidence in our election systems,” Martin wrote in the email, noting the new section has already opened one investigation. “One of the best ways to restore that confidence is to protect our systems and to demand accountability.”

Martin did not explain whether he would have any jurisdiction to pursue election fraud cases beyond the District of Columbia.

He also did not indicate whether he had spoken with the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, which according to department rules must be consulted before a federal prosecutor can open an election fraud case.

A spokesperson for Martin’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Public Integrity Section has been hit with a wave of resignations, after top Justice Department official Emil Bove pressured its attorneys to dismiss criminal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The two dozen remaining attorneys were informed last week that drastic staffing cuts are yet possible, though no final decision has been announced.

Numerous studies have found election fraud to be extremely rare in the United States. Trump’s false claims of fraud in 2020 inspired thousands of supporters to storm the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in an unsuccessful attempt to reverse his defeat. 

Before joining the Justice Department, Martin advocated for participants in that attack and has admitted to being present on Capitol grounds during the attack itself

As the top federal prosecutor in Washington, Martin has threatened members of Congress with investigations and announced the opening of criminal cases on social media. 

He also forced the ouster of the office’s former top criminal prosecutor after she refused to open a criminal probe and freeze the assets of a grant awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency during Democratic President Joe Biden’s tenure.

Recently, Trump nominated Martin to serve permanently as the U.S. attorney, though it remains unclear whether he will have ample support in the Republican-controlled Senate.

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch in Washington; Editing by Andy Sullivan and Matthew Lewis)