History of Ed Martin (Missouri politician) in Timeline

Edward Robert Martin Jr. is an American conservative activist, politician, and lawyer. He served as the Chair of the Missouri Republican Party from 2013 to 2015. In January 2025, he was appointed by President Donald Trump as the interim United States Attorney for the District of Columbia.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

March 19, 1970: Ed Martin Born

On March 19, 1970, Edward Robert Martin Jr. was born. He later became a conservative activist, politician, and lawyer.

1997: Thanksgiving Dinner with Pope John Paul II

In 1997, Ed Martin, while at law school, attended a Thanksgiving dinner with Pope John Paul II as the sole youth representative expert of the Synod of the Bishops on the Americas.

2005: Appointed Chairman of St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners

In 2005, Ed Martin was appointed by Missouri Governor Matt Blunt as chairman of the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners.

2005: Represented pharmacists against contraceptive rule

In 2005, while working for Americans United for Life, Ed Martin represented two Illinois pharmacists seeking relief from an administrative rule requiring them to dispense the contraceptive levonorgestrel, known as "Plan B" or the "morning after pill". Martin argued that this violated their religious rights and appeared on Lou Dobbs Tonight to discuss the case. The court sided with Martin and the plaintiffs.

August 2006: Appointed Chief of Staff

In August 2006, Ed Martin was appointed by Missouri Governor Matt Blunt as his chief of staff.

2006: Chief of Staff for Missouri Governor

In 2006, Ed Martin became the chief of staff for Missouri Governor Matt Blunt, a position he held until November 2007.

2006: Represented small business owner selling caskets

In 2006, while doing pro bono work, Ed Martin represented a small business owner selling caskets and funeral supplies at discounted prices. He argued against a Missouri law requiring casket vendors to have a funeral director's license. Eventually, the State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors sided with the small business owner.

November 2007: End of term as chief of staff

In November 2007, Ed Martin's tenure as chief of staff for Missouri Governor Matt Blunt ended.

2007: Used state office improperly

In 2007, Ed Martin used his state office improperly to encourage opposition to Attorney General Jay Nixon among anti-abortion groups, and pressured political appointees to criticize Nixon's handling of issues as AG.

January 2008: Blunt Announces He Will Not Seek Re-election

In January 2008, Missouri Governor Matt Blunt surprised supporters by announcing he would not seek a second term.

February 2008: Appointed to Missouri State Parks Advisory Board

In February 2008, Governor Matt Blunt appointed Ed Martin as a member of the Missouri State Parks Advisory Board, a position he held until April 2011.

November 2008: Newspapers Report on Emails

In November 2008, after a year-long battle to gain access, the Kansas City Star and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on 60,000 pages of emails obtained from the administration and found that Ed Martin had used his state office in 2007 improperly.

2008: Founded American Issues Project

In 2008, Ed Martin founded the American Issues Project, which ran anti-Senator Barack Obama TV ads during the 2008 United States presidential campaign. Martin appeared on The O'Reilly Factor to discuss the group's commercials.

May 22, 2009: Lawsuit Settlement Announced

On May 22, 2009, the Missouri Attorney General's office announced that Scott Eckersley's lawsuit against Matt Blunt, Ed Martin, and others had been settled for $500,000.

2010: Nominee for Missouri's 3rd congressional district

In 2010, Ed Martin became the Republican Party's nominee for Missouri's 3rd congressional district; however, he lost to the incumbent Democrat Russ Carnahan.

2010: Challenged Russ Carnahan

In 2010, Ed Martin challenged Democratic incumbent Russ Carnahan for his seat; however, Russ Carnahan defeated Ed Martin.

2010: Founded Term Limits for Missouri

In 2010, Ed Martin founded Term Limits for Missouri, an organization that works to pass laws for term limits on all statewide elective positions in the state.

April 2011: End of term in Missouri State Parks Advisory Board

In April 2011, Ed Martin's tenure as a member of the Missouri State Parks Advisory Board ended.

January 26, 2012: Dropped out of Congressional race

On January 26, 2012, Ed Martin announced he was dropping out of the Congressional race and filed to run for Missouri Attorney General against incumbent Democrat Chris Koster.

2012: Unsuccessful run for Missouri Attorney General

In 2012, Ed Martin was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for Missouri Attorney General.

January 5, 2013: Elected Chairman of the Missouri Republican Party

On January 5, 2013, Ed Martin was elected chairman of the Missouri Republican Party, defeating incumbent chair David Cole and former Missouri State Senator Jane Cunningham.

2014: Criticized Race-Based Advertising

In 2014, as party chairman, Ed Martin criticized race-based advertising in the Republican primary campaign for the United States Senate election in Mississippi.

2015: Appointed President of the Eagle Forum

In 2015, Ed Martin was appointed as President of the Eagle Forum, a conservative advocacy group founded by Phyllis Schlafly.

2016: Appeared on RT America and Sputnik

From 2016 to 2024, Ed Martin appeared more than 150 times on RT America and Sputnik, both of which are Russian state-controlled news agencies.

2016: Co-authored "The Conservative Case for Trump"

In 2016, Ed Martin co-authored "The Conservative Case for Trump" with Phyllis Schlafly and Brett M. Decker.

The Conservative Case for Trump

Check it on Amazon

2016: Secretly Influenced Facebook Comments Criticizing Judge

In 2016, Ed Martin secretly influenced Phyllis Schlafly's employee Priscilla Gray to write Facebook comments criticizing Judge John Barberis on Barberis' Facebook page, after Barberis issued a ruling adverse to Martin.

2016: Removed from Eagle Forum Presidency

In 2016, Ed Martin was removed from his position as President of the Eagle Forum. Subsequently, a lawsuit was filed to bar Martin from any association with the group, and he was found liable for defamation and false light against Anne Schlafly Cori.

2017: CNN Contributor

In 2017, Ed Martin was a CNN contributor.

2018: Unsuccessful Run for Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

In 2018, Ed Martin moved to Great Falls, Virginia, where he ran unsuccessfully for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

2020: Claims of Rigged Election

In 2020, Ed Martin claimed that the 2020 election was "rigged" and that Trump "won the election".

January 5, 2021: Spoke at rally

On January 5, 2021, Ed Martin spoke at a rally where he claimed, "What they're stealing is not just an election. It's our future and it's our republic."

December 2024: Nomination Intention Announced

In December 2024, President Trump announced his intention to nominate Ed Martin for Chief of Staff for the Office of Management and Budget.

2024: Appeared on RT America and Sputnik

From 2016 to 2024, Ed Martin appeared more than 150 times on RT America and Sputnik, both of which are Russian state-controlled news agencies.

2024: Banquet honoring Timothy Hale-Cusanelli

In 2024, Ed Martin's foundation hosted a banquet at Trump's Bedminster golf club honoring Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, a convicted Capitol riot participant, as an "extraordinary man".

2024: RNC Platform Committee Member

In 2024, Ed Martin, then president of Phyllis Schlafly Eagles, served on the Republican National Committee (RNC) Platform Committee.

January 2025: Appointed Interim United States Attorney for the District of Columbia

In January 2025, Ed Martin was appointed as the interim United States Attorney for the District of Columbia by President Donald Trump. Prior to this, he had served as Chair of the Missouri Republican Party from 2013 to 2015.

January 2025: Appointed Interim U.S. Attorney

In January 2025, instead of Chief of Staff, Donald Trump appointed Ed Martin as the interim United States Attorney for the District of Columbia.

January 20, 2025: Appointment as Interim U.S. Attorney

On January 20, 2025, Ed Martin was appointed as the Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, immediately after Donald Trump's inauguration as the 47th President.

February 2025: Pledge of support to DOGE

In February 2025, Ed Martin publicly pledged his office's support to Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), promising legal action against anyone impeding their work, amidst controversy surrounding DOGE's actions at federal agencies.

February 24, 2025: Criticism for Referring to Himself as "President Trump's Lawyer"

On February 24, 2025, Ed Martin faced criticism for referring to himself and fellow United States attorneys as "President Trumps' lawyers" in a post on X.

March 13, 2025: House Judiciary Committee Request for Investigation

On March 13, 2025, Representative Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, requested the Justice Department's inspector general to launch an investigation into Ed Martin, citing concerns about his actions.

March 2025: Criticism for DEI Hiring Comments

In March 2025, Ed Martin was criticized for telling the dean of Georgetown University’s law school that he would not hire anyone affiliated with a school that teaches DEI.

April 2025: Apology for Hale-Cusanelli event

In April 2025, Ed Martin apologized for hosting the banquet honoring Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, claiming he was unaware of the full extent of Hale-Cusanelli's views.

April 2025: Letters to Wikimedia Foundation and Medical Journals

In April 2025, Ed Martin sent a letter to Wikimedia Foundation accusing them of allowing manipulation and propaganda. Also in April 2025, he sent a threatening letter to The New England Journal of Medicine, accusing it of being partisan.

April 2025: Criticism from Former Prosecutors and The Kansas City Star

In April 2025, an open letter from over 100 former prosecutors criticized Ed Martin, and The Kansas City Star's editorial board deemed him unfit for the job.

May 8, 2025: Withdrawal of Nomination

On May 8, 2025, President Trump announced he would withdraw Ed Martin's nomination. Later that day, he announced Jeanine Pirro would replace Martin as the interim appointee.

May 2025: Senate Confirmation Unlikely

In May 2025, Ed Martin's Senate confirmation as U.S. Attorney appeared unlikely after Senator Thom Tillis announced his opposition, leaving Martin without enough votes.

May 2025: Opposition from Senator Thom Tillis

In May 2025, Republican Senator Thom Tillis announced his opposition to confirming Ed Martin, citing his involvement in Stop the Steal.

2025: ProPublica Report on Facebook comments

In 2025, ProPublica reported that after a judge issued a ruling adverse to Ed Martin in 2016, Martin secretly influenced Schlafly's employee to write Facebook comments criticizing the judge.