Rough place for the FBI to be in…..
The DEMOCRATIC lawmakers simply related that the ‘Law’ states that members of the American Military do NOT have to follow Illegal orders…
US Military service members take an oath to the ‘Constitution‘ NOT the President under Uniform Code of Military Justice….
I’m no lawyer but I’d think this whole thing isn’t going much of anywhere…..
Especially against Senator Kelley, who IS a military vet and former astronaut…..
The FBI has requested interviews with Democratic lawmakers who appeared in a controversial video last week reminding U.S. service members of their duty to disobey unlawful orders, further escalating the Trump administration’s campaign to punish some of its fiercest critics on Capitol Hill.
The request, confirmed Tuesday by the six lawmakers involved, coincides with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s unprecedented directive to the Navy to review “potentially unlawful conduct” by Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), a retired naval officer, who participated in the video.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan), another of the lawmakers involved, said on social media that it appeared the FBI’s counterterrorism division was also involved.
President Donald Trump has called for the six Democrats to be arrested, saying their actions were “seditious” and potentially “punishable by DEATH!” In response, the lawmakers have accused the administration of abusing its authority and threatening their personal safety.
“No amount of intimidation or harassment will ever stop us from doing our jobs and honoring our Constitution,” said a joint statement from Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colorado), Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pennsylvania), Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-New Hampshire) and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pennsylvania), the four House members who appear in the video.
Kelly and Slotkin’s offices said the U.S. Capitol Police relayed the FBI’s desire for interviews, though it was not immediately clear when they could be arranged. Some of the lawmakers previously filed complaintswith Capitol Police in response to Trump’s comments, arguing that he put them in danger at a time of rising political violence.
A spokesperson for the Capitol Police referred questions to the FBI, which declined to comment….
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Since returning to office, Trump has repeatedly threatened charges against several of his critics, including Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California), who was a prominent figure in Trump’s first impeachment while serving in the House. But tapping the FBI and the Pentagon to investigate members of the other party risked crossing another line, experts argued: using the power of America’s vast national security apparatus to suppress political speech….
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The Pentagon’s announcement of the investigation Monday prompted fierce criticism from congressional Democrats, who argued the administration was breaching democratic norms. The probe also appeared to frustrate some of Kelly’s Republican colleagues, who came to his defense in social media posts Tuesday. Kelly later called the investigation an attempt to “intimidate” him.
It was unclear whether the administration would pursue charges against any of the lawmakers or on what basis. Legal experts said the members of Congress could seek to dismiss any formal allegations on the grounds that Trump violated their due process by labeling the video “seditious.”…
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Members of Congress enjoy broad, constitutionally enshrined immunity from prosecution tied to actions they take in their official capacity. The provision, known as the “speech and debate clause,” could also limit agents’ ability to collect certain evidence in their pursuit of a case, such as the electronic correspondence of the lawmakers. Investigators would first have to show that the video’s recording was not part of the legitimate work of Congress or the oversight duties of its members….
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Experts on military law also have argued that the lawmakers did not appear to say anything illegal and that the duty to disobey unlawful orders is a foundational part of the U.S. military.
While the scope of the FBI’s inquiry remains uncertain, its attempt to schedule interviews with the lawmakers is the latest example of the Justice Department responding directly to calls from Trump to investigate his political adversaries.
The demands — often delivered via a social media post — mark a significant departure of traditional fire walls that have existed between the White House and the Justice Department to avoid the appearance of politics tainting criminal probes.
Earlier this month, Trump called for Attorney General Pam Bondi to open an investigation into prominent Democrats who had ties to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. She responded within hours, announcing she’d assigned the inquiry to the U.S. attorney in Manhattan….
Note….
Trumnp’s ‘revenge’ thing is NOT doing too good these days….
image….AP News
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