Woman Charged with Federal Assault for Spitting on Ed Martin

A woman accused of spitting on Washington’s former top federal prosecutor was arrested Thursday on an assault charge, according to court filings.

Emily Gabriella Sommer, 32, is charged with one federal count of assaulting, resisting or impeding a government official after she allegedly spit on former interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin when he was still in the post.

The spitting incident occurred on May 8 — the same day President Trump withdrew Martin’s nomination to formally assume the role of U.S. attorney — while the acting prosecutor was conducting an interview with a Newsmax reporter outside his office.

After identifying Martin, Sommer approached him and spit on his left shoulder, according to a deputy U.S. marshal’s affidavit. While walking away, she swore and called him a “disgusting man” before shouting, “My name is Emily Gabriella Sommer, and you are served,” the affidavit said.

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Interim U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the former Fox News host whom Trump tapped as Martin’s replacement, announced the arrest in a press release Thursday. She assumed the role after Martin failed to earn key support in the Senate, dooming his confirmation.

Martin announced his resignation last week and said that Trump had reassigned him to two different Justice Department roles: pardon attorney and director of the Weaponization Working Group, established earlier this year to root out alleged weaponization of the justice system.

His stint as D.C.’s top prosecutor was short but controversial. As interim U.S. attorney, he oversaw the firings and reassignments of prosecutors who worked on Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack cases and threatened prosecution against Democrats and critics of billionaire Elon Musk.

According to the deputy U.S. marshal, Sommer later took credit for spitting on Martin in social media posts. Online records do not yet show a lawyer for her.