(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has revived the Trump administration’s efforts to punish Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona over his participation in a controversial video urging service members to ignore illegal orders.
Hegseth appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia after a lower court issued a preliminary injunction Jan. 15 blocking the federal government from sending Kelly a censure letter and docking his military retirement pay over the video.
According to the New York Post, Hegseth is seeking to lift the injunction so the punishment can proceed.
The controversy stems from Kelly’s participation in the video in which he and colleagues, Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, along with Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire and Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania.
The video drew widespread criticism for urging service members to defy orders without identifying any actual illegal commands, instead relying on hypothetical scenarios. President Donald Trump, as commander in chief, controls the military.
In response, Kelly claimed that “these guys don’t know when to quit. […] There is only one reason to appeal that ruling: to keep trampling on the free speech rights of retired veterans and silence dissent.”
Kelly is the only lawmaker whose retired status places him under the military’s jurisdiction, meaning he is expected to maintain a certain standard of conduct.
The other lawmakers are not subject to military jurisdiction. Slotkin previously worked for the CIA, while the others are veterans.
Hegseth has described Kelly’s conduct as “seditious in nature.” Meanwhile, Trump said their remarks “was punishable by DEATH.”
