U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Friday the appointment of Ed Martin as a special prosecutor to oversee politically sensitive cases against New York Attorney General Letitia James and U.S. Senator Adam Schiff, both Democrats. Bondi stressed that the special prosecutor is necessary to avoid any appearance of political bias that could influence legal proceedings. James and Schiff are accused of misrepresenting their residences to obtain favorable mortgage rates.

Ed Martin, who was President Trump’s nominee for U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia—a nomination blocked by GOP Senator Thom Tillis—will now handle these cases. The announcement came as a grand jury was convened to consider charges against James. Federal mortgage authorities referred her after finding irregularities in her property documents, including listing her father as her husband and underreporting the number of units in a Brooklyn brownstone, possibly to avoid costly safety upgrades.

Senator Schiff is under scrutiny for claiming a Maryland property as his primary residence while serving as a California congressman, where he was constitutionally required to live. Both James and Schiff deny the allegations and have accused the Trump administration of politicizing the Justice Department. James’ spokesperson and attorney condemned the investigation as retaliation, citing her previous litigation against Trump and the NRA.

Martin currently leads the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group but has faced criticism for his limited prosecutorial experience and his defense of January 6 rioters. Critics argue his involvement raises questions about the impartiality of the investigations.

Schiff’s attorney and former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara called the investigations baseless and politically motivated, accusing Martin of weaponizing the justice system to target political opponents.