Washington prosecutor probes threats against Doge, takes aim at Democratic senator
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People working in Mr Elon Musk’s drive to downsize and overhaul the government said they had been threatened.
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
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WASHINGTON - The top US prosecutor in Washington launched an investigation on Feb 19 into threats against federal workers, and said the department would probe Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, after people working in Mr Elon Musk’s drive to downsize and overhaul the government said they had been threatened.
Interim US Attorney Ed Martin said in an e-mail seen by Reuters that the probe was inspired by a conversation with an employee of billionaire Mr Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or Doge, an entity created by Republican President Donald Trump.
Doge has triggered a wave of layoffs across the federal government.
“Late last night I took a call from a senior Doge staff member. We spoke about some pressing tech issues, and then he told me about threats against Doge workers. It is despicable that these men and women are being threatened,” Mr Martin said in the e-mail.
Mr Martin named the initiative Operation Whirlwind, saying Mr Schumer, the top Democrat in the Republican-led US Senate, is the subject of a threats’ investigation.
Mr Schumer spoke out against Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh at a 2020 abortion rights rally by saying: “You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price.”
“I reached out to Senator Schumer to investigate his threats,” Mr Martin said. “He has not yet responded to me.”
A spokesperson for Mr Schumer said his office received Mr Martin’s letter, dated Jan 21, on Feb 4 and responded to the inquiry on Feb 6.
That response, which was written by Mr Schumer’s chief of staff Michael Lynch, was reviewed by Reuters.
“On March 5, 2020, the day after the comments referenced in your letter, Senator Schumer made the following remarks on the floor of the Senate,” Mr Lynch wrote to Mr Martin.
“I should not have used the words I used yesterday,” Mr Schumer was quoted saying in a Senate speech. “My point was that there would be political consequences,” the senator added.
“I am from Brooklyn. We speak in strong language. I shouldn’t have used the words I did, but in no way was I making a threat.”
Mr Martin in February announced on social media that he was launching a criminal investigation, based on a referral from Mr Musk alleging that government workers were stealing property and making threats.
His post on Mr Musk’s social media platform X ran afoul of numerous Justice Department rules governing the use of social media and prohibitions against publicly discussing sensitive non-public information.
Prior to being nominated by Mr Trump as US attorney for the District of Columbia, Mr Martin vocally advocated the rioters who stormed the US Capitol on Jan 6, 2021
Mr Trump in January gave clemency to about 1,600 people charged
On Feb 18, the top prosecutor in Mr Martin’s office overseeing criminal cases resigned after she said Mr Martin pressured her to investigate a contract awarded during Mr Biden’s tenure and freeze the assets of the contract’s recipient, even though there was not enough evidence to do so.
In his e-mail on Feb 19, Mr Martin said that his office has been “flooded with threats against those who helped free the Jan 6 prisoners”.
However, Mr Martin failed to mention the threats that federal prosecutors, FBI agents and judges are continuing to receive online from Jan 6 defendants after Mr Trump granted them clemency on his first day back in office.
A spokesperson for Mr Martin’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. REUTERS
