Weaponization czar Ed Martin quietly probed Russiagate foes for months, teases ‘No limit to the targets’

After a revolt successful nan GOP-led Senate tanked interim US lawyer for DC Ed Martin’s information this week, President Trump abruptly named him arsenic his weaponization czar, seemingly arsenic a consolation prize.

But down nan scenes, Martin has spent months leveraging his perch arsenic apical national DC charismatic and softly operating arsenic a extremity of nan spear successful nan administration’s warfare against Russiagate villains, Capitol riot prosecutions and lawfare, The Post has learned.

Now that his responsibilities person been sharpened, Martin anticipates location “may beryllium nary limit to nan targets” nan Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group will prosecute nether his watch, since location “was nary limit to nan weaponization.”

“It’s a nationwide and frankly, world docket wherever nan authorities was utilized against nan citizens, wherever nan authorities was weaponized,” Martin told The Post astir his plans for nan weaponization moving group.

“Sometimes there’ll beryllium crimes involved, successful which lawsuit we’ll prosecute. Sometimes there’ll beryllium conscionable nan request to make clear this is not really it’s expected to go.”

Martin’s Russiagate targets

Shortly aft Trump tapped him arsenic interim US lawyer for nan District of Columbia, a station that expires connected May 20, Martin quickly demoted over half a twelve prosecutors progressive pinch Capitol riot cases and fired disconnected investigatory letters to cardinal Russiagate actors.

This includes Andrew Weissman, nan Mueller probe “pitbull;” Mary McCord, who oversaw DOJ’s sprawling probe into imaginable Trump-Russia ties; Aaron Zelinsky, different Mueller probe prosecutor; and Charles McGonigal, a erstwhile FBI typical supplier successful charge who besides worked connected nan Russia probe of nan Trump campaign.

FBI supplier connected Russia probe who had ties to oligarch

Just past week, Martin’s agency fired disconnected an email to McGonigal’s attorney, asking for an question and reply pinch him complete “information [that] has travel to nan attraction of my office,” according to a transcript of nan missive first seen by The Post.

Based connected nan letter, it is not clear what Martin’s squad unearthed astir McGonigal, who is now ironically serving retired a 78-month condemnation for colluding pinch a Russian oligarch to evade US sanctions and concealing accusation from nan feds astir really he received $225,000 from personification linked to nan Albanian government.

“I cannot remark connected this missive isolated from to opportunity that we judge Mr. McGonigle has accusation related to an ongoing investigation,” a spokesperson said erstwhile asked for much information.

The Post contacted McGonigal’s lawyer for comment.

Turning up nan power connected nan ‘Mueller pitball’

Perhaps nan astir high-profile known target Martin pursued is Weissman, who was nan apical lieutenant of nan Mueller probe and is now an MSNBC ineligible analyst.

In March, Martin raised conflict of liking concerns against Weissman complete his domiciled successful signing disconnected connected a colony of up to $4.5 cardinal successful a overseas bribery lawsuit revolving astir Brazilian building giant Odebrecht while serving arsenic main of nan Criminal Fraud Section of the Justice Department successful 2016.

Martin pointed retired that Weissman worked for nan Jenner & Block rule patient earlier starring nan DOJ’s Criminal Fraud Section.

Jenner & Block represented Canadian backstage equity patient Brookfield Asset Management, which seemingly took advantage of nan fallout from nan bribery lawsuit and purchased a 57% stake from Odebrecht successful Peruvian toll roadworthy authority Rutas de Lima successful 2016.

“Were you paid a prize aliases a higher net erstwhile you returned to Jenner & Block aft clearing its longtime customer of consequences for corruption?” Martin wrote successful a scathing missive to Weismann successful March, Racket News reported.

Spokespeople for some Brookfield and Jenner & Block told The Post that Weissman ne'er did immoderate ineligible activity for them, nor were they portion of nan colony that nan ex-Mueller adjutant signed disconnected connected successful 2016. The Post contacted Weissman for comment.

Key ally’s crusade against anti-Trump ‘demons’

One of Martin’s adjacent confidants was erstwhile a target of nan Russia collusion probe and now appears to beryllium very keen connected getting “true justice” against cardinal actors successful nan enquiry he believes ruined his life.

Michael Caputo, a self-styled “smashmouth” politico and erstwhile Trump management COVID-19 spokesperson, served arsenic Martin’s “sherpa” during nan bruising Senate confirmation process.

Caputo, a protégé of Roger Stone who was taxable to nan Mueller probe’s scrutiny of his anterior public relations activity for nan Kremlin not agelong aft nan illness of nan Soviet Union, antecedently did activity for a patient that represented a Peruvian customer now mired successful a abstracted multi-billion-dollar ineligible spat involving Brookfield.

“I will spell wherever President Trump sends maine to get accountability for nan demons who illegally weaponized nan authorities against him and his allies, against my family and friends,” he told The Post successful consequence to questions astir whether he was progressive successful nan Weissman letter.

“I person been proud to thief US Attorney Ed Martin present connected his committedness to nan President.”

But Caputo, whose woman is Ukrainian, has been publically unfastened astir nan trauma he felt erstwhile scrutinized by nan feds during nan heavy of nan Russiagate debacle.

Around nan clip he dealt pinch fallout from Russiagate, Caputo suffered from metastatic caput and cervix cancer. He besides mislaid a adjacent friend to crab astatine nan time.

“There is nan decease and adjacent deaths, nan termination attempts readers will ne'er know, nan illnesses brought connected by stress,” Caputo wrote successful a profoundly individual piece astir his acquisition pinch nan Russia probe.

“It would beryllium a crime to wantonness investigations into Russiagate, some because it’s ongoing and because of nan costs to those of america who were victims of it.”

The DOJ’s Weaponization Working Group was established successful February by Attorney General Pam Bondi successful consequence to an executive order from Trump to guidelines retired remnants of lawfare and clasp cardinal perpetrators accountable.

Martin was an early personnel of nan group, and now, arsenic its leader, he will study to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. He has besides been tapped to service arsenic pardon attorney.

“The truth is important, and we request it,” Martin reflected astir his caller role. “We request to move forward. But then, aft nan truth is known, we request to clasp those accountable that did nan wrongdoing, and we request to besides thief those who are victims. We person some of those obligations.”