A senior official at the Justice Department has withdrawn a letter that appeared to place a retired FBI agent under scrutiny for his participation in the defamation case against Alex Jones over false claims about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Ed Martin, head of the DOJ’s Weaponization Working Group, formally withdrew a Sept. 15 letter on Wednesday after media reports surfaced highlighting his inquiry into William Aldenberg, a former FBI agent and plaintiff in the Sandy Hook defamation lawsuit. In that now-retracted letter, Martin asked whether Aldenberg had financially benefited from the lawsuit and warned that “there are criminal laws protecting the citizens from actions by government employees who may be acting for personal benefit.”
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But in a brief follow-up sent on Wednesday to Aldenberg’s attorney, Christopher Mattei, Martin reversed course. Martin said that there was no active investigation into Aldenberg, a person familiar with the communication told CNN, adding that, “because of this, I hereby withdraw my request for information from you or your former client.”
The original letter was first revealed by Jones, a conspiracy theorist and founder of the online show Infowars, who posted it online Tuesday and claimed it proved the government was targeting those who helped bring the $1.4 billion defamation case against him.
“Breaking! The DOJ’s Task Force On Government Weaponization Against The American People Has Launched An Investigation Into the Democrat Party / FBI Directing Illegal Law-fare Against Alex Jones And Infowars,” Jones posted on X, alongside a photo of himself with Martin taken days before the letter was sent.
Jones has long claimed he is the victim of political retaliation. But in back-to-back trials in Texas and Connecticut, juries found him liable for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress for spreading false claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre was a hoax.
Breaking! The DOJ's Task Force On Government Weaponization Against The American People Has Launched An Investigation Into The Democrat Party / FBI Directing Illegal Law-fare Against Alex Jones And Infowars
— Alex Jones (@RealAlexJones) September 23, 2025
Read the letter below. pic.twitter.com/b37FNR5uhp
Aldenberg, who responded to the school on the day 20 children and six adults were murdered, testified that Jones’s followers subjected him and his family to years of abuse, including by peddling false claims that he was a “crisis actor.” He ultimately won a judgment of roughly $90 million in compensatory damages, one of the largest personal shares from the case.
Martin’s letter had asked for details about Aldenberg’s financial interest, whether he disclosed his DOJ affiliation, and whether he recused himself from any FBI matters involving Jones. The tone and substance of the inquiry prompted outrage from victims’ attorneys.
Mattei, who represents multiple Sandy Hook families, called the initial letter “pathetic” and accused Martin of aiding Jones’s efforts to harass grieving families.
The DOJ’s retraction now appears to undercut Jones’s claim that the federal government had opened an investigation into the litigation against him. A Justice Department spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Martin, a Trump ally and former interim U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., was tapped earlier this year by Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead the Weaponization Working Group. The new unit was created to investigate claims of political bias inside the department and examine whether conservatives have been unfairly targeted.
The retraction also highlights a pattern of missteps for Martin, whose nomination to be a U.S. attorney was withdrawn in May amid bipartisan concern over his limited courtroom record and outspoken views on Jan. 6 defendants. From there, Trump named Martin to be the U.S. pardon attorney, while also giving him a dual role to investigate alleged acts of abuse and weaponization by the DOJ under former President Joe Biden.
Martin has also been named a special attorney in DOJ investigations into alleged mortgage fraud by Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), both high-profile Democrats who used their positions to go after Trump.
Jones, who is appealing the defamation verdicts and has filed for bankruptcy, continues to insist the trials were unfair and politically motivated. Sandy Hook families, meanwhile, are pursuing liquidation proceedings to seize what remains of his Infowars assets.
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As of Thursday, there was no indication the Justice Department would take further action related to Aldenberg or revisit the inquiry in any form.
The Washington Examiner contacted a representative for Aldenberg’s attorney, but did not receive a response.