The appointment of Ed Martin as U.S. Pardon Attorney under President Trump has ignited a firestorm around presidential clemency. Martin’s immediate declaration to review all pardons issued by former President Biden for “lawful authorization” signals a radical departure from the office’s traditional role. This unprecedented move, spearheaded by Martin as head of a new “Weaponization Working Group,” clashes with the widely accepted understanding of pardons as final acts, constitutionally protected from reversal.

Legal scholars note the absence of any mechanism for a subsequent administration to revoke a delivered pardon. Martin’s proposed review, therefore, appears to prioritize political scrutiny over established legal precedent, potentially aiming to delegitimize pardons deemed politically unfavorable. Even though Martin himself has called the pardon power “plenary,” the ambiguous framing of “unlawful authorization” suggests a politically motivated agenda rather than a pursuit of established legal recourse. This investigation will delve into Martin’s profile, the history of presidential pardons, Biden’s record, and the far-reaching legal and political consequences of this review, especially within the context of the administration’s “weaponization” narrative.