Democrats Retaliate Over Purported FBI Probe
Democrats who ordered troops to defy unlawful orders retaliate against a purported FBI investigation
A group of Democratic congressmen are resisting an alleged federal investigation into the behaviour of US troops who were urged to reject any instructions they believed to be unlawful.
After appearing in a video last week that US President Donald Trump called "seditious," US Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan revealed that the FBI had informed the six senators of its inquiry on Monday.
Four Democrats in the US House of Representatives declared, "No amount of intimidation or harassment will ever stop us from doing our jobs and honouring our Constitution."
Regarding the rumoured probe, the FBI and the Department of Justice (DoJ) have declined to comment.
Additionally, the Pentagon has previously declared that it will examine "serious allegations of misconduct" against Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, who was shown in the video.
A DoJ official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters on Tuesday that the FBI has asked to speak with six Democratic legislators in order to ascertain "if there's any wrongdoing, and then go from there."
Kelly responded, "The sergeant at arms got something in an email," when NPR questioned him about the situation later that day. We're investigating it."
Each chamber of Congress's principal law enforcement officer is the sergeant at arms. Although they have not been involved in other recent criminal investigations, such as the prosecution of former Democratic senator Bob Menendez, they are responsible for upholding congressional regulations, which may include making arrests of legislators.
Kelly stated that the president "is certainly outrageous and unpredictable" in the NPR interview. He doesn't seem to comprehend the Constitution.
Senator Mark Kelly's alleged wrongdoing will be reviewed by the Pentagon following a video shown to US troops.
Regarding the video to troops, Trump claims he was "not threatening death" to Democrats.
Last Monday, Slotkin published the video featuring Democrats who have all served in the military or intelligence agency. In addition to Kelly, it includes US Representatives Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander, and Chrissy Houlahan.
In the midst of growing tensions between the Trump administration and the Venezuelan government, as well as opposition from Democrat-led cities to Trump's deployment of National Guard troops in such areas, they are calling for US troops to disobey orders deemed illegal.
Slotkin stated on Tuesday that the congressmen received a message from the FBI's counterterrorism branch informing them of the investigation.
"We made the video because of the president's reaction and the use of the FBI against us," she stated during a Michigan event.
"He believes in using the federal government against his perceived adversaries, and he's not afraid to use the arms of the government against people he disagrees with," she said, calling Trump's conduct "a scare tactic" .
The FBI was being used by Trump as a "tool to intimidate and harass" members of Congress, according to US Reps Deluzio, Goodlander, Houlahan, and Crow.
"We took an oath to uphold and defend the US Constitution. We plan to uphold that lifelong oath. Bullying won't happen to us. They declared, "We will never abandon the ship.
Kelly accused the government of "pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens" in the film, which infuriated Trump.
"LOCK THEM UP???" Before publishing someone else's post that said, "HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!" on his social media channel Truth Social, Trump posed this question.
The president eventually stressed that he was "not threatening death" after his posts received criticism from both parties.
The Pentagon charged the former US Navy captain and astronaut with violating military law when it announced its investigation into Kelly. It stated that it would investigate whether the Arizona congressman should be brought back to active duty in order to deal with court-martial proceedings.
Kelly is still bound by the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), a federal statute passed by Congress in 1951 that imposes unique regulations on military personnel, despite his retirement from the armed forces.
Kelly was accused by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth of breaking the UCMJ and of giving "the appearance of authority to his words" in the video by citing his rank and service affiliation. Kelly's actions "bring discredit upon the armed forces and will be addressed appropriately," he continued.
Hegseth shared a picture of a memo he submitted to the US Navy secretary on Tuesday that addressed Kelly's "potentially unlawful comments" and sent the issue for examination on social media.
Kelly has retaliated by claiming that he has "given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution" and by discussing the matter in interviews and social media posts.
He stated that it "is kind of wild because we recited [in the video] something from the Uniform Code of Military Justice and he's going to prosecute me under the Uniform Code of Military Justice" during a Tuesday appearance with Jimmy Kimmel, host of a late-night talk show.
A member of the armed forces may refuse to obey "a patently illegal order, such as one that directs the commission of a crime" or an order that violates the Constitution, which enlistees pledge to support.
The "duty to disobey"—refusing to carry out an order that is illegal—has been adopted by many US military personnel since World War Two. As Trump's deployments of National Guard troops to US cities encounter legal difficulties, the concept is becoming more popular in the civilian sphere.
A CIA spokesperson reminded former officers on Tuesday of the oath they had taken and the commitment they made while serving the US intelligence community, despite the fact that the US intelligence community lacks a code similar to the UCMJ.
According to Liz Lyons, the spokesperson, former cops should "conduct themselves accordingly - even long after they leave" on X.
The claim made by Slotkin, a former CIA analyst, that CIA operatives were receiving unlawful orders and should thus refuse to comply with them "is now, by her own admission, without basis and recklessly false" according to Lyons.
Regarding the video to troops, Trump claims he was "not threatening death" to Democrats.
Senator Mark Kelly's alleged wrongdoing will be reviewed by the Pentagon following a video shown to US troops.
The FBI
Trump, Donald
US politics
Congress of the United States
The United States
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