Democratic Lawmakers Push Back on Reported FBI Investigation After Military Order Comments
Democrat legislators who encouraged US military personnel to disobey unlawful commands are now responding to what they call a government investigation into their actions.
Alert of Investigation
Democrat Senator Elissa Slotkin of the state of Michigan announced that the Federal Bureau of Investigation on the start of the week informed the six lawmakers who were featured in recent recording about the examination.
"Any attempt at intimidation or harassment will never prevent us from performing our duties and upholding our Constitution," several Congressional representatives declared.
Executive Reaction
Their message to military members led to President Trump to allege the Democratic lawmakers of "treasonous conduct, punishable by death" and triggered a Pentagon examination of "significant claims of misconduct" against Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of the state of Arizona, who likewise participated in the video.
The Department of Justice declined to provide statement on the alleged investigation.
Recording Details
The video by Democrats, all of whom have served in the military or intelligence community, was distributed recently by Slotkin and features Senator Kelly and US Representatives Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander, Chrissy Houlahan and Jason Crow.
The message emerged amid escalating tensions between the Trump administration and the government of Venezuela, as well as Democratic-controlled cities resisting Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to the region.
FBI Participation
The senator stated on Tuesday that the FBI's counterterrorism unit sent a note to the legislators to notify them of an alleged investigation into the elected officials.
"His reaction and the deployment of the Federal Bureau against us is exactly why we made the recording," she said at an event in Michigan.
"He believes in employing the national government against his perceived adversaries, and he's not hesitant to utilize the resources of the administration against people he opposes," she said, characterizing Trump's behavior as "intimidation."
Congressional Reaction
Similarly, US representatives Deluzio, Goodlander, Houlahan and Crow asserted that Trump is using the Federal Bureau as "tool to pressure and target" legislators, confirming that the FBI reached out to the House and Senate Sergeants at Arms to request interviews.
"We took an pledge to uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States. That commitment is permanent, and we intend to keep it. We will not be bullied. We refuse to give up the ship," they declared.
Executive Response
The recording - in which Kelly alleged the government of "setting our uniformed military and security personnel against the American people" - provoked the President's anger and he implied on online platforms that they be arrested, imprisoned and executed.
His comments received bipartisan censure and the president eventually retracted his statements in a television appearance, clarifying that he was "not advocating capital punishment."
Defense Department Response
On Monday, the Defense Department alleged the Arizona legislator, a former officer in the Navy and astronaut, of violating armed forces regulations. The military leadership announced it would perform a review to establish whether the Arizona lawmaker should be returned to military service to undergo court-martial proceedings.
Even though the senator retired from the military, he is nevertheless bound by the Uniform Code of Military Justice - a national legislation established by Congress in 1951 that holds personnel of the armed forces to a special set of rules.
Military Leader Statement
Military leader Pete Hegseth charged the senator of violating the UCMJ and of using his rank and service affiliation as a way to lend "the appearance of authority to his statements" in the recording.
He continued that Kelly's conduct "casts doubt upon the armed forces and will be handled properly."
Legislator Kelly's
But Kelly also pushed back, saying that he has "devoted too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who prioritize their own power than defending the founding document."
Reports suggested on the following day that the Federal Bureau and Department of Justice contacted Congressional security to arrange meetings with the half-dozen members of Congress.
The Federal Bureau refused to comment on that day when contacted by media outlets.
