Ed Martin, the interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., who proudly declared he is one of “President Trump’s lawyers,” appears to be expanding his partisan services to other Republicans facing legal woes.
The Department of Justice employee declined to issue a warrant to arrest Cory Mills after the GOP House member from Florida was suspected of physically assaulting 27-year-old Sarah Raviani, the co-founder of Iranians for Trump, at his Southwest Washington apartment, per The Washington Post.
“This week, law enforcement was asked to resolve a private matter at Congressman Mills’ residence,” read a statement from Mills’ spokesperson, which was sent to several media outlets, including NBC News. “Congressman Mills vehemently denies any wrongdoing whatsoever, and is confident any investigation will clear this matter quickly.”
On Wednesday, the D.C. Metropolitan Police responded to a 911 call from a woman who reported an assault. According to a copy of the police report obtained by NBC 4 Washington, the 44-year-old Mills “grabbed” Raviani, “shoved her, and pushed her out of the door.”
“Eventually, [Mills] made contact with police and admitted that the situation escalated from verbal to physical, but it was severe enough to create bruising,” the report continued.
Police noted that Raviani had “bruises on her arm, which appeared fresh.” She also claimed that Mills had been her “significant other for over a year,” which is interesting considering Mills has been married to his wife Rana Al Saadi since 2014 and they have two children together, according to The Daily Beast
When officers informed Mills he would be placed under arrest, Raviani then recanted the details of the assault. A second version of the police report obtained by NBC 4 Washington the following day only characterized the incident as a “family disturbance.” Raviani later told the Post that she was never assaulted and that “no physical altercation took place.”
Ed Martin speaks at the Capitol on June 13, 2023.
Mills was not taken into custody at the time of the 911 call but officers seemed to believe the apparent confrontation warranted closer attention. Although police sent a warrant application for Mills this past Friday, Martin’s office refused to sign it, ending any criminal investigation. Prosecutors reportedly believed there was “insufficient probable cause to support an arrest,” per the Post.
A spokesperson for Martin declined to comment to the Post, claiming that discussing any case before criminal charges are filed is improper.
It’s striking that a U.S. Attorney’s Office declined the case, especially since Martin, a Donald Trump appointee and MAGA supporter who pushed Trump’s lies about a stolen election, has been accused of trying to silence critics of the president and his “first buddy” Elon Musk, and even sent a threatening letter to a Congress member who has spoken out against them. On Monday, the man who legally defended several Jan. 6 rioters proclaimed in an incoherent and roundly criticized statement that federal prosecutors serve as Trump’s personal attorneys.
Perhaps Martin is trying to protect Mills in a desperate effort to maintain Republicans’ slim majority in the House. With a 218-215 edge, GOP members have almost no margin for error if they want to pass their cruel legislation that aims to give huge tax cuts to the rich while slashing health care and food stamps for struggling Americans. In line with this, House Speaker Mike Johnson admitted that Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York has not yet had her confirmation vote to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations because he can’t afford to lose another vote on his struggling budget bill.
According to NBC, D.C. police are investigating why officers didn’t initially arrest Mills and why the case was reclassified as a family disturbance instead of an assault.
“Once MPD leadership became aware of this matter there was an immediate review of our initial response to ensure all procedures were followed. MPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau is currently investigating this matter,” the department said.
It would indeed be an interesting development if the supposed party of law and order was using its judicial power to avoid prosecuting one of their own. Mills, a Trump superfan, is a two-term congressman from Florida who has said he will make a Senate run in 2026 for the seat that was vacated by now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
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