Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) has just made a major move to fight back against what many see as a politically motivated attack from Donald Trump’s camp. Schiff has hired former federal prosecutor Preet Bharara to defend him in a new criminal investigation pushed by Trump and his allies.
This investigation, led by Ed Martin, is looking into whether Schiff committed mortgage fraud by owning homes in both California and Maryland at the same time. Experts say this is a common and legal practice for members of Congress, as long as all state laws are followed. Schiff’s office said clearly, “He did not mislead any mortgage lender about his use of either property.”
Bharara quickly criticized the investigation as unfair and politically motivated.
“The allegations against Senator Schiff are transparently false, stale, and long debunked,” Bharara said. He also attacked Ed Martin, calling him “the most brazenly partisan and politically compromised person possible for the task.”
Bharara explained the clear bias, saying, “Mr. Martin’s nomination to be U.S. Attorney of the District of Columbia was derailed not only by his partisanship and unfitness, but also by the hold Senator Schiff appropriately placed on the nomination.”
He added, “Mr. Martin is a January 6-defending lawyer who has repeatedly pursued baseless and politically-motivated investigations to fulfill demands to investigate and prosecute perceived enemies. Any supposed investigation led by him would be the very definition of weaponization of the justice process.”
Martin was once Trump’s acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia but was never confirmed by Senate Republicans due to his extreme partisanship. Trump later moved him to the pardon attorney’s office to keep him within the Department of Justice.
The probe reportedly also targets New York Attorney General Letitia James, another prominent critic of Trump.
