Ed Martin's post: Why is the photo of Donald Trump's pardon attorney with Russell Brand drawing ire? Backlash amid Epstein scandal

US president Donald Trump’s pardon attorney, Ed Martin, is facing criticism after posting a photo of himself with comedian Russell Brand, who has been accused of rape and sexual assault. On Monday, Martin shared the picture on his official X account with the caption, “Good morning, America. How are ya’?” Brand, 50, was charged in the UK with rape and sexual assault earlier this year, in cases dating back to 1999–2005. In the US, he is also fighting a lawsuit in New York over allegations of assault during the filming of Arthur in 2010.Martin has taken a rightward shift in recent years, leaning into conspiracy theories in his online content.The post quickly drew backlash, especially given the Trump administration’s unresolved controversy over the Epstein Files. Stacey Young, a former federal attorney who quit the department of justice during Trump’s second term, criticised Martin in a LinkedIn post, calling him a “failed DC US attorney nominee.” She said the photo was especially insensitive at a time when the DOJ has been cutting grants for sexual assault survivors. “Ed Martin’s post encapsulates the callousness, hypocrisy, and misogyny oozing from DOJ’s current leadership,” Young wrote. Elizabeth Oyer, the former pardon attorney who said she was fired in March after refusing to restore Mel Gibson’s gun rights, said, “It’s absolutely blowing my mind that this person sits in what was once my office and occupies my former job as pardon attorney!”