(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) U.S. District Attorney Ed Martin has launched an internal investigation into the Biden administration’s illegal weaponization of a federal obstruction law to target Jan. 6 defendants.
Martin, a Trump appointee, announced the probe in an internal email to federal prosecutors. This comes just 10 months after the Supreme Court sided with J6 defendant and former police officer Joseph Fischer in a case questioning the DOJ’s expanded interpretation of Section 1512(c)(2).
NEW: @EagleEdMartin confirms his internal investigation into Biden DOJ’s unlawful use of 1512c2 against J6ers is expanding.
This is the post-Enron statute abused by 17 DC judges incl the supremely confident Jeb Boasberg later reversed by SCOTUS. Excellent news. pic.twitter.com/lpUoPHHoj0
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) April 4, 2025
Federal prosecutors have traditionally used the law—commonly known as obstruction of an official proceeding—for cases involving evidence tampering or similar offenses. That was until Joe Biden took office on Jan. 20, 2021.
Under the Biden administration’s interpretation, Section 1512(c)(2) was applied to many J6 defendants and even President Donald Trump for merely being inside the U.S. Capitol and disrupting the 2021 election certification on January 6.
A 6-3 Supreme Court decision in 2024 shut down this interpretation as unlawful, delivering a scorching rebuke of the Biden administration.
Martin is investigating how the federal government approved using the law against Jan. 6 defendants, according to a screenshot of an email he sent to colleagues.
“We continue to look at exactly how and why so many Jan 6th cases were charged using 1512 which led to the dramatic failure before the Supreme Court,” he wrote in the email shared by journalist Julie Kelly on X.
He added, “We have contacted lawyers, staff and judges about this – and sought their feedback. One called the bi-partisan rejection of the 1512 charge the ‘greatest failure of legal judgment since FDR and his Attorney General put American citizens of Japanese descent in prison camps – and seized their property.’”
“I agree and that’s why we continue to look at who ordered the 1512 and why. A lot to do,” Martin said.
Martin noted that the DOJ has been asked to “look into leaks that took place during the January 6th prosecutions,” which he affirmed damaged parties, witnesses, and officers.
The probe is part of what Martin described as the “1512 Project,” chaired by attorney Jonathan Hooks.
