Grand Jury Declines to Indict Democratic Lawmakers Over Military Orders Video

A grand jury in Washington D.C. has decided not to indict a group of Democratic lawmakers who had urged U.S. military personnel to disregard “unlawful” orders in a recently circulated video. This action follows an investigation launched by the Justice Department into the video where six Democratic representatives called on military and intelligence members to defy illegal orders issued by the federal government. Notably, all of the lawmakers have military or intelligence backgrounds.

The group featured includes Senators Elissa Slotkin from Michigan and Mark Kelly from Arizona, along with Representatives Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan from Pennsylvania, Maggie Goodlander from New Hampshire, and Jason Crow from Colorado.

In the video message, the lawmakers asserted, “This administration is pitting uniformed military personnel and intelligence professionals against the American people. Like us, you have sworn an oath to protect and defend this Constitution. The threats to our Constitution now come not just from abroad, but from right here at home. Our laws are clear. Unlawful orders can be rejected. Unlawful orders must be rejected. No one should be required to carry out an order that violates the law or the Constitution.”

The Associated Press reports that the grand jury opted against the charges, though it remains uncertain if the prosecutors might still pursue actions against the lawmakers or what specific charges, if any, they might consider.

President Donald Trump has labeled the lawmakers as “traitors,” claiming they were involved in “incitement at the highest level” and arguing they “should be in jail.” At one point, he even suggested, in a video, that they deserved execution, but later tried to clarify those remarks.

Following these events, Slotkin received a bomb threat shortly after the video’s release and Trump’s comments regarding executing her.

Slotkin remarked, “Tonight, we can score one point for the Constitution, free speech, and the rule of law. But today is more than just an embarrassing day for the administration; it’s another sad day for our country.”

Meanwhile, Kelly characterized the attempted prosecution as “an outrageous abuse of power by Donald Trump and his minions,” emphasizing that Americans should not be intimidated into silence. He added, “The most patriotic thing we can do is not back down.”

In a related development, the Pentagon initiated an investigation regarding Kelly’s remarks, citing a federal law that permits veterans to be recalled to active duty under certain conditions, potentially leading to punishment.

Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth has publicly criticized Kelly, advocating for a demotion from his retired rank due to his participation in the video, defending that rejecting illegal orders is a normal military procedure.

In response, Kelly has filed a lawsuit against Hegseth, contesting the proceedings as unconstitutional retaliation. In a recent court hearing, the judge appeared skeptical regarding the arguments presented by government lawyers supporting Hegseth’s actions against the Arizona senator.