Justice Department Pardon Attorney Ed Martin went after Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) on social media Thursday, telling the senator to “go to Hell” after Tillis publicly questioned whether Martin still works at the DOJ.
The dispute erupted after Tillis, who had previously opposed Martin’s advancement within the department, made a remark about Trump administration nominations, saying he would apply “Martin standards” to anyone nominated to succeed former Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Tillis added, “By the way, I don’t think Martin is employed by the DOJ anymore, either, is he?”
Martin responded to Tillis’s remarks in a post on X, from both his personal and DOJ accounts, tagging Tillis and accusing him of dishonesty. Martin also referenced past comments Tillis allegedly made about Ashli Babbitt, the woman shot and killed during the Jan 6, 2021, Capitol riot, before escalating rhetoric.
“@SenThomTillis: remember when you said Ashli Babbitt ‘deserved it’?” Martin said. “In front of six witnesses, two of your staff.Deranged. Instead back to North Carolina, just go to Hell.”
Martin also countered the guidelines Tillis dubbed after him, adding that the “Tillis standard” means that “MAGA doesn’t forget losers!”
In a separate, now-deleted post from his DOJ account, Martin accused Tillis of contacting him to intervene in a pardon case, suggesting the senator had sought to block clemency for a constituent.
The clash highlights the long-running rift between Martin and Tillis dating back to May 2025, when Tillis helped derail Martin’s bid to become the top federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia. Tillis cited concerns over Martin’s ties to Jan. 6 defendants and his approach to prosecutorial independence at the time.
Martin did not secure Senate confirmation for that role and instead moved to his position as pardon attorney, where he reviews clemency applications and advises the president.
WARSH NOMINATION ADVANCES AFTER TILLIS BLOCKADE ENDS
As a member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Tillis has leverage in approving the nomination to succeed Bondi. He said he will not support “anybody who equivocated on the Jan. 6 rioters.”
He has made power moves before in his role on the Senate banking committee, temporarily blocking Kevin Warsh’s nomination to succeed Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. After a three-month gridlock, Warsh was approved on Wednesday to move to the floor for confirmation.