Groups Warn Trump Appointee Against Turning US Attorney's Office Into 'DOGE Defense Squad'

A coalition of civil society groups on Tuesday criticized the Trump-appointed interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia for rushing to the defense of the Department of Government Efficiency after the commission's billionaire leader, Elon Musk, accused a social media user of committing a crime by posting the names of engineers aiding the takeover of federal agencies.

In a letter to Edward Martin, whom President Donald Trump appointed just minutes after his inauguration last month, more than 30 advocacy organizations wrote that "as an experienced attorney holding such an important public position, you must be aware that it is not a crime for anyone... to identify individuals openly conducting government work that is of the utmost public concern."

The coalition, which includes the Freedom of the Press Foundation and the Demand Progress Education Fund, noted that Wired earlier this week published the names of six young engineers working for Musk at DOGE, which has swiftly and lawlessly infiltrated key federal agencies.

The engineers Wired named are Akash Bobba, Edward Coristine, Luke Farritor, Gautier Cole Killian, Gavin Kliger, and Ethan Shaotran.

Following publication of the Wired story, Martin sent a letter to Musk stating that "some of the staff at DOGE has been targeted publicly" and encouraging the world's richest man to "utilize me and my staff to assist in protecting the DOGE work and the DOGE workers."

Martin subsequently issued a statement declaring that an "initial review of the evidence presented to us indicates that certain individuals and/or groups have committed acts that appear to violate the law in targeting DOGE employees."

"We are in contact with FBI and other law enforcement partners to proceed rapidly," Martin added. "We also have our prosecutors preparing."

"A public servant should not abdicate their First Amendment duties and use their office to target and intimidate journalists and peaceful protesters at the behest of the world's richest man."

Seth Stern, director of advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation, said in a statement that "there's nothing more central to the First Amendment than the press and public's right to criticize those carrying out controversial government work, harshly and by name."

"A sitting U.S. attorney threatening to prosecute this constitutionally protected conduct is highly alarming—even un-American," said Stern. "So are his threats against those who may protest DOGE. If Martin does not understand why such threats are so problematic, he should not be serving in such an important position in our government. He should clarify that he did not intend to threaten to prosecute people who named DOGE employees and that, going forward, he will not assert dubious legal positions to curry favor with Musk or President Trump."

Emily Peterson-Cassin, corporate power director at the Demand Progress Education Fund, added that "it would be deeply alarming for Martin to turn the office of the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia into a DOGE defense squad."

"A public servant should not abdicate their First Amendment duties and use their office to target and intimidate journalists and peaceful protesters at the behest of the world's richest man," Peterson-Cassin added. "Martin has already shown willingness to retaliate against public servants by firing January 6th prosecutors, so we need straight answers. Does Ed Martin follow the Constitution or Elon Musk?"

In their letter on Tuesday, the civil society organizations called on Martin to "identify the specific 'targeting' of DOGE staff" referenced in his message to Musk and "publicly commit to not investigate or prosecute journalists or others for reporting on or publishing names of government workers and their work activities."

The letter also urges Martin to "acknowledge that criticism of DOGE staffers by name and peaceful protests of DOGE's work are protected by the First Amendment."