Republican senator says he won’t support Trump's DC prosecutor pick

WASHINGTON

US Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said Tuesday that he would not support Ed Martin, President Donald Trump's pick for US attorney for the District of Columbia.

Tillis said he indicated to the White House that he would not support Martin's nomination because of his previous comments related to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

"I have no tolerance for anybody that entered the building on Jan. 6, and that’s probably where most of the friction was," Tillis told reporters.

If Martin were being put forth as a US attorney for any district except the district where Jan. 6 happened, Tillis said he would "probably support him, but not in this district."

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday that he does not see a path for getting Martin to the Senate floor if Tillis remains opposed to the nominee.

"I think that would suggest that he’s probably not going to get out of (the Senate Judiciary) committee," Thune said.

Tillis is a member of the committee, where Senate Republicans control a 12-10 majority.

If all other members aside from Tillis voted along party lines, Martin will be stuck in committee on an 11-11 deadlock.

In March, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee filed a complaint against Martin. In the letter to the DC Bar disciplinary counsel, the senators said Martin "has abused his position in several ways, including dismissing charges against his own client and using the threat of prosecution to intimidate government employees and chill the speech of private citizens."

Martin’s position as acting US attorney for the District of Columbia expires on May 20.