The Honorable Thom Tillis
United States Senate
113 Dirksen Senate Office Building 50 Constitution Ave NE
Washington, DC 20002
May 7, 2025
Dear Senator Tillis,
Antisemitic hate is a growing problem around the world – and America has not been spared.
As proud members of North Carolina’s Jewish community, we believe the stakes of this moment could not be higher or more personal. We stand firmly for the essential American value of religious freedom, and against the machinery of antisemitism and all other forms of hate.
We were very relieved, and gratified, to read reports that you will not support the nomination of Ed Martin to serve as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, citing Martin’s defense of the January 6 rioters on Capitol Hill. However, we would like to emphasize that Mr. Martin should not be appointed to any position of public trust. His record raises numerous ethical questions, the most alarming is his longstanding relationship with Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, a Nazi sympathizer who has made some of the most repugnant antisemitic statements imaginable.
Mr. Hale-Cusanelli has said that “Hitler should have finished the job,” referred to “eating” Jews for “breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” and blamed Jews for the COVID-19 pandemic. He has also dressed as Hitler on multiple occasions, images of which are enclosed with this letter. A federal judge appointed by President Trump condemned Mr. Hale-Cusanelli’s antisemitic behavior while sentencing him to prison for his role in the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Despite this record, Mr. Martin maintained a close relationship with Hale-Cusanelli for years. He called him an “extraordinary leader,” a “great friend,” and said the world should “hear more from him.” We believe these statements, and the relationship itself, disqualify Mr. Martin from holding a senior federal law enforcement position.
After The Forward published footage of Mr. Martin praising Hale-Cusanelli, Mr. Martin claimed he had been unaware of Hale-Cusanelli’s antisemitism. But publicly available records contradict that claim, showing that Mr. Martin was aware—and still chose to promote him.
We are also concerned by reports that hundreds of hours of Mr. Martin’s podcasts and interviews have recently disappeared from the internet as the Senate considered his nomination. Withholding these records raises serious questions about what additional associations or comments, which would have bearing on any future appointment, may now be hidden from public view.
These are times that demand moral clarity. While the nomination may have appeared distant from North Carolina, confirming someone who tolerated or excused antisemitism in the nation’s capital would have sent a dangerous message—including here in the Tar Heel State. That holds true for any future public appointment, as well.
When you were campaigning in 2020, you wrote the following in a candidate questionnaire: “History has taught us what dark depths of depravity and inhumanity anti-Semitic bigotry can lead to. We can never allow anti-Semitism to gain a footing in mainstream American politics or society, because such hate runs directly counter to the American values we have always cherished.”
We agree with those words; but words must be backed up by action. Making campaign promises is one thing; honoring them in office is another.
We believe no one can credibly oppose antisemitism while supporting the appointment of Ed Martin to any position of public trust. We thank you for not supporting his nomination to serve as U.S. Attorney, and urge you not to be a party to any other public appointment for which Mr. Martin may be nominated in the future.
Sincerely,
Lissa Jewel. President
Amy Block DeLoach, 1st Vice President
Perry Dror, 2nd Vice President
Stef Mendell, 3rd Vice President
Linda Brinkley, Secretary