Trump ATTACK BACKFIRES and LANDS Lawyer in ETHICS TROUBLE?!?

Edward Martin, then interim US Attorney for the District of Columbia, sent a letter to Georgetown Law Dean William Treanor, threatening to cease hiring Georgetown graduates and offering internships if the school continued to teach Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). This threat was perceived as an attempt to dictate university curriculum and was specifically targeted at Georgetown.

Martin's fax stated he 'understood that we were teaching DEI and that unless I satisfied him that DEI was not part of our curriculum he would not hire our graduates and he would not give internships to our students.' The letter was sent in late February of 'last year' (relative to the April 2nd recording date).

Dean William Treanor responded to Martin's threat by asserting two constitutional violations: the First Amendment right of universities to decide their curriculum (academic freedom) and the violation of religious freedom, as Georgetown's Jesuit mission inherently promotes inclusion and outreach.

Treanor stated, 'universities get to decide their curriculum...it's their free speech right.' He added, 'it's an attack on our mission as a Jesuit university to teach in accordance with our mission...the Jesuit order has historically been about inclusion and outreach.'

The threat was uniquely aimed at Georgetown Law. Martin explicitly stated he would continue to hire from Howard University, despite their DEI programs, but not Georgetown. Ultimately, the threat proved empty, as Georgetown graduates continued to secure positions and internships at the US Attorney's office.

Treanor noted, 'we were the only school in DC that got this letter.' He recounted Martin's interview where he said, 'No, that I won't hire from Howard. They can practice DEI. Georgetown can't.' He later confirmed, 'Our graduates have been hired and our students have been offered internships.'

Edward Martin is now the subject of an ethics complaint filed with the District of Columbia Board of Professional Responsibility. The complaint addresses his actions against Georgetown Law and includes allegations of attempting ex parte communications with the court to discuss the matter.

The host states, 'Mr. Martin is now the the subject of an ethics complaint for uh for some of these actions...efforts to to engage with the the the court...to have a face-to-face meeting with the court uh to discuss this matter and find a way forward.'

The Attorney General has issued draft regulations that seek to exempt Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers from state ethics investigations and prosecutions. Dean Treanor argues these regulations are unconstitutional, as states traditionally regulate bar admission and professional conduct, and the DOJ is not adequately policing its own ethics.

The host mentions the Attorney General 'has issued draft regulations that that basically want to uh in effect exempt uh DOJ lawyers from state ethics investigations and prosecutions.' Treanor explains, 'DOJ is not policing ethics and two, this is clearly this is a a violation of a core function of the states.'