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Schiff’s legal counsel blasts ‘compromised’ Ed Martin over mortgage fraud investigation

By Zach LaChance August 9, 2025 | updated 1 day ago

Legal counsel for Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) attacked Ed Martin, President Donald Trump‘s pardon attorney, over the weekend as an investigation into the California senator over alleged mortgage fraud is now underway.

Martin was tapped by Attorney General Pam Bondi as a “special attorney” to investigate the allegations, which center on Schiff listing more than one property as his primary residence. As part of that inquiry, Martin on Friday met with Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, who initially sent the criminal referral to the Justice Department in May, specifically over Schiff allegedly falsifying “bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms” on his Potomac, Maryland home.

Now, as the investigation is ramping up, Schiff’s lawyer is going on the offensive against Martin, targeting him over his failed bid to become the next top Washington, D.C., prosecutor.

“Ed Martin, the most brazenly partisan and politically compromised person possible for the task, has been picked to investigate a political adversary. The bias here is glaring. Mr. Martin’s nomination to be U.S. Attorney of the District of Columbia was derailed not only by his partisanship and unfitness, but also by the hold Senator Schiff appropriately placed on the nomination. Mr. Martin is a January 6-defending lawyer who has repeatedly pursued baseless and politically-motivated investigations to fulfill demands to investigate and prosecute perceived enemies. Any supposed investigation led by him would be the very definition of weaponization of the justice process,” said Preet Bharara, a former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York who is now representing Schiff.

Martin was initially selected by Trump to be his next U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, but after Republican support in the Senate appeared grim, the president pulled his nomination. He was replaced by Jeanine Pirro, a vocal Trump ally who was confirmed by the Senate just before their August recess.

Martin has since been reassigned to two top roles, specifically director of the Office of the Pardon Attorney and head of the DOJ’s recently established Weaponization Working Group.

The investigation he is leading into Schiff is coupled with one into Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is also facing mortgage fraud allegations.

Both are notable Trump critics, and the president has not held back his attacks on both after the criminal allegations surfaced.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Regarding Schiff, Trump recently suggested the California senator should see jail time for allegedly falsifying the loan documents.

Schiff has denied wrongdoing, insisting that both his Maryland home and Burbank, California, home were repeatedly disclosed to lenders as principal residences and he only took a $70 tax exemption on the Burbank property.

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