Trump's Former Pardon Attorney Denies 'Pay-to-Play' Allegations, Eyes Midterms

Ed Martin, former interim US Attorney for D.C. and President Donald Trump's ex-pardon attorney, is pushing back against allegations that Trump's clemency office operated as a pay-to-play scheme. The claims stem from a recent "60 Minutes" investigation which accused fixers of selling access to presidential pardons for up to $600,000.

Martin specifically targeted right-wing provocateurs Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl, who were featured in the broadcast. "Those clowns that were on 60 Minutes, they basically admitted that they were playing fast and loose with what they could do," Martin stated. "The one guy complaining failed to get a pardon, and the two guys that said they'd get it for him failed."

To counter the narrative of "pardons for sale," Martin highlighted a case involving Duke Tanner, whose drug sentence Trump commuted and later pardoned. Martin said Tanner never used a lawyer or broker, emphasizing that "He just was doing the right things in prison, and everything found him."

Martin also contended that claims of applicants bypassing official channels overlook the significant workload of the Department of Justice's pardon office, which he described as slogging through nearly 20,000 petitions and vetting about 2,000 names for the White House each quarter.

President Trump personally encouraged Martin to engage in a media tour prior to his departure from government. "Trump would say to me, 'You like doing media. Go do media. It's important to get out there,'" Martin revealed. "I said, 'I want to go out and talk more about it, especially before November 3.' And he said, 'Yeah, it's a good idea.'"

Martin, a vocal MAGA loyalist and former associate of conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, described his exit from government as strategic. He aims to rally conservative voters before the upcoming midterm elections, supporting the administration's push to restore gun rights to non-violent felons. He plans to visit at least 10 states.

Martin also addressed critiques regarding Attorney General Todd Blanche, who previously served as Trump's personal defense attorney. Martin dismissed conflict-of-interest concerns as "silly," suggesting it might even be beneficial. He also commented on FBI Director Kash Patel's performance, noting an improvement in energy and focus after an initially "rocky start."

The White House has previously refuted claims of a "pardon economy." A spokesman stated, "Anyone spending money to lobby for pardons is foolishly wasting their money and the President doesn't even know who these so-called 'lobbyists.'" Trump has not yet named a successor for the pardon attorney role.