A top D.C. prosecutor is going after Democrats who have allegedly “threatened” Department of Government Efficiency cheerleader Elon Musk, according to documents seen by the Washington Post.
‘Operation Whirlwind’—as interim D.C. United States Attorney Ed Martin has billed it—is supposedly an effort to curb threats to all public officials but the opening salvo suggests it is a way of clamping down on Trump’s critics.
The program—kicked off in an email sent to all Department of Justice staff—appears to have been started after Martin spoke with senior Musk aides about threats to him and his DOGE goon squad, The Post reported. The young group of tech wizzes had been threatened online after their identities were revealed.
“Free speech has limits and threatening government workers crosses the line,” Martin reportedly wrote. “We will stop the storm of threats against officials at all levels.”
But it was not clear that Martin was interested in actual threats. Instead, in “letters of inquiry,” he targeted Rep. Robert Garcia (D-California) and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York).
Martin wanted Garcia to “clarify” his statement to CNN last week. “What the American public wants is for us to bring actual weapons to this bar fight,” Garcia said, referring to pushing back against Musk and DOGE slashing federal workers. “This is an actual fight for democracy.”
Martin’s letter reportedly alluded to the comment sounding like a direct threat to Musk and his staff. It also appeared to suggest that Musk and DOGE workers initiated the whole inquiry.
“Their concerns have led to this inquiry. We take threats against public officials very seriously. I look forward to your cooperation,” it reportedly read.
Democratic Congressman Garcia responded in a written statement.
“We will not be silenced,” he said.
“No reasonable person would view these comments as a threat, and it’s interesting that the letter was sent to The Washington Post, yet we have not received it,” he continued. “We are living in a dangerous time, and elected members of Congress must have the right to forcefully oppose the Trump Administration.”
The Martin letter also went after Schumer for comments he made on the Senate floor in March 2020 regarding Trump-appointed Supreme Court judges. After Neil M. Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh made a decision against abortion rights, Schumer said they had “released the whirlwind, and … will pay the price.” He has since rowed back on the remarks.
Martin said he considered this a threat despite Schumer and his team repeatedly denying it. Just a day after making the remark, he expressed regret over his choice of wording but added that it is a “gross distortion” to imply he intended it as a threat.
“We are the guardians of federal workers,” Martin reportedly added in his round robin email. “You and I must do whatever possible to assure government work is safe for all involved. We must protect our cops, our prosecutors, our DOGE employees, the President, and all other government employees.”
Barbara McQuade, a former federal prosecutor and University of Michigan law professor, told The Post that the letters, unprecedented in tone for a federal prosecutor, “are designed more to chill free speech than to seek clarification, as they purport to do.”
