Feb. 10 (UPI) — A grand jury rejected the Justice Department’s effort to indict congressional Democrats for their recent recording of an ad telling military members they don’t have to obey illegal orders.
The U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia grand jury on Tuesday evening declined to indict the lawmakers, all of whom either are veterans or served in national intelligence, The New York Times reported.
The lawmakers are Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, along with Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, and Chrissy Houlahan and Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania.
Slotkin is a former CIA analyst and organized the video recording that did not cite any specific orders or provide context, but it aired soon after the Trump administration began carrying out deadly aerial strikes on alleged drug-running vessels in the Caribbean Sea in September.
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It’s unclear if all or only some of the lawmakers were subject to the grand jury proceeding, according to NBC News.
The news outlet said the effort by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro is an example of the Justice Department targeting the president’s political enemies.
In the video, the six lawmakers all said military members can refuse to carry out illegal orders, and some said that “threats to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad, but right here at home.”
President Donald Trump called the ad “seditious behavior” and suggested George Washington would have had all six hanged for treason.
The six lawmakers later said the FBI had contacted the respective House and Senate sergeants at arms to arrange interviews as part of a criminal investigation.
The four House members issued a joint statement in which they accused Trump of using the FBI to “intimidate and harass members of Congress.”
They said that “no amount of intimidation or harassment will ever stop us from doing our jobs and honoring our Constitution.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also tried to censure and demote Kelly, the senator said in a lawsuit.
