Federal prosecutor vows to protect DOGE staffers from any 'threats, confrontations' targeting Musk team

"I recognize that some of the staff at DOGE have been targeted publicly," Martin wrote to Elon Musk in a letter, which Martin posted to his X account Monday. "At this time, I ask that you utilize me and my staff to assist in protecting the DOGE work and the DOGE workers. Any threats, confrontations or other actions in any way that impact their work may break numerous laws."

"Let me assure you of this: We will pursue any and all legal action against anyone who impedes your work or threatens your people," he continued. "We will not act like the previous administration who looked the other way as the Antifa and BLM rioters as well as thugs with guns trashed our capital city. We will protect DOGE and other workers no matter what." 

Trump granted clemency to more than 1,500 Jan. 6, 2021 criminal defendants upon taking office in January. 

News reports spread this week that Musk's DOGE team includes a group of college-age engineers to help dismantle government overspending and reported corruption, which has sparked some on social media to attack the team, including threatening to dox them, according to a review of some reactions online. 

Martin noted in his Monday public letter that he worked with the DOGE team "this weekend," while warning that "we must keep all our American government employees safe and we must protect the American people's property."

"One last warning to you," Martin wrote in the conclusion of his letter to Musk. "Late last week, we indicted an economist who worked for the Fed for economic espionage for the Communist Chinese. Please be very aware that there are those who are acting against our American people in every way. Refer to us any questionable conduct or details that you find or notice." 

USAID's fate is hanging in the balance as Musk went on a warpath against the independent government agency as a "viper's nest of radical-left marxists who hate America." On Monday morning, hundreds of USAID employees reported they were locked out of the agency's computer system and that its headquarters in Washington, D.C., was closed. 

Musk announced in an audio-only message on X overnight on Sunday that "we're in the process" of "shutting down USAID" and that Trump reportedly agreed to shutter the agency. 

"USAID is not functioning. It has to be aligned with U.S. policy," he told reporters while in El Salvador. "It needs to be aligned with the national interest of the U.S. They're not a global charity. These are taxpayer dollars. People are asking simple questions. What are they doing with the money? We are spending taxpayers' money. We owe the taxpayers assurances that it furthers our national interest."