ST. LOUIS — Hours after losing his bid to stay on as U.S. attorney in Washington, ex-51ºÚÁÏan Ed Martin was named Thursday night to another Justice Department post by President Donald Trump.
Trump said Martin would become director of the department's Weaponization Working Group and be an associate deputy attorney general and pardon attorney.
The Associated Press said the pardon role will put him in the position of recommending pardons for some defendants involved in the violent Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. Trump pardoned most of the more than 1,500 riot defendants on the day he was inaugurated for his second term.
Trump made the announcement on his family's Truth Social social media site.
Earlier Thursday, Trump said he would pull his nomination of Martin to be the top federal prosecutor for the nation's capital following bipartisan concerns about his modest legal experience and divisive politics.
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Martin's temporary appointment as interim U.S. attorney was set to expire May 20.
A key blow to Martin's chances of winning Senate confirmation for that job came on Tuesday when Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said he wouldn't support the nomination.
Tillis, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said his opposition was due to Martin's defense of rioters at the U.S. Capitol.
Martin during his brief tenure in the U.S. attorney's office also stirred other criticism.
He fired and demoted subordinates who worked on politically sensitive cases and forced the chief of the office's criminal division to resign after directing her to scrutinize the awarding of a government contract during former Democratic President Joe Biden's administration.
Trump, in his Truth Social post Thursday night, said Martin in his new role "will make sure we finally investigate the Weaponization of our Government under the Biden Regime, and provide much needed justice for its victims."
Trump's transition team in December had announced that Martin would be chief of staff for the Office of Management and Budget. Instead, a few weeks later, he became interim U.S. attorney.
Trump also announced Thursday that Jeanine Pirro, a Fox News host and former county prosecutor and elected judge, would replace Martin as interim U.S. attorney.
Martin is a former Missouri Republican Party chairman, ex-chief of staff to then-Gov. Matt Blunt and a former 51ºÚÁÏ Election Board chairman.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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