US government drops case against Democrats in 'illegal orders' video

[Timber Rattler]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20z7yplp7po

Federal prosecutors in Washington have dropped their case against six Democratic lawmakers who released a video urging military servicemembers to refuse illegal orders.

The decision - confirmed by the BBC's media partner CBS News - follows US Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office failing to secure a grand jury indictment against the six military and intelligence veterans.

The justice department could still pursue the case in a different district, but there were no signs on Tuesday that it intended to do so. Pirro's office had no comment.

After the Democrats released the video, President Donald Trump called the lawmakers "traitors" and suggested the video was an offence "punishable by death".

He later said he was not threatening death for the six.

Pirro's office then moved to investigate the lawmakers while the Pentagon began working to demote Senator Mark Kelly, a former Navy captain and astronaut, in order to cut his retirement pay and benefits.

Kelly had previously called Pirro's case "an outrageous abuse of power by Donald Trump and his lackies" and has also sued the defence department, which was temporarily blocked by a judge from reducing his rank in early February.

The justice department had sought to charge him, along with Senator Elissa Slotkin and Representatives Jason Crow, Maddie Goodlander, Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan, under a law carrying a maximum 10-year prison sentence for those who encourage "insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty by any member of the military".

But a grand jury in early February would not sign off on the indictment, and Slotkin's attorneys warned Pirro's office that if the case continued she would argue it was a "vindictive and selective prosecution".

EXCERPT

[IsailedawayfromFR]

But Kelly's case is different as he was also going to face accountability within the uniform code of military justice.

Where does that stand as a federal judge has no jurisdiction as I understand things.

[verga]

But Kelly's case is different as he was also going to face accountability within the uniform code of military justice.

Where does that stand as a federal judge has no jurisdiction as I understand things.

[Timber Rattler]

But Kelly's case is different as he was also going to face accountability within the uniform code of military justice.

Where does that stand as a federal judge has no jurisdiction as I understand things.

Like I said, the military is not going to touch Kelly, a sitting U.S. Senator, with a 10 km pole despite all the wishcasting.

Pentagon appeals order blocking Sen. Mark Kelly's punishment for call to resist unlawful orders

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/article/pentagon-appeals-order-blocking-sen-mark-kelly-s-21939661.php

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is appealing a judge's order that blocks him from punishing Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, a former Navy pilot, for participating in a video that called on troops to resist unlawful orders, according to a court filing on Tuesday.

Justice Department officials filed a notice that they wil ask a panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review the Feb. 12 ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon.

Kelly, who represents Arizona, said in a social media post that the only reason for Hegseth to appeal is to “keep trampling on the free speech rights of retired veterans and silence dissent.”

“These guys don’t know when to quit," Kelly wrote on his X account.

EXCERPT

With that said, the process may be the punishment here.