WASHINGTON (TNND) — A grand jury in Washington D.C. declined the Justice Department’s request to criminally prosecute six Democratic lawmakers, who made a video last year encouraging U.S. military members and intelligence personnel to ignore “illegal” orders made by the Trump Administration.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro pursued the federal indictment against the lawmakers on the grounds that they broke federal law by encouraging military personnel to disobey orders or commit mutiny. The Justice Department opened its investigation into the six lawmakers in January, which included the FBI conducting interviews with the lawmakers.
The video featured Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Reps. Jason Crow (D-CO), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), and Maggie Goodlander (D-NH). All of these lawmakers either have prior military service or an intelligence background.
The lawmakers released the video in November, which coincided with the time that the Defense Department began its military strikes in alleged drug boats in the Caribbean.
“We know you are under enormous stress and pressure right now, Americans trust their military, but that trust is at risk. This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens like us. You all swore an oath to protect and defend this constitution,” the lawmakers said in the video.
The lawmakers’ video garnered fierce backlash from President Donald Trump, who called for the lawmakers to be imprisoned and sentenced to death for their “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR.”
“It’s called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Their words cannot be allowed to stand — We won’t have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET,” the president wrote in one Truth Social post.
In response to the grand jury’s decision to decline indicting the lawmakers, several of them took to X to celebrate.
Slotkin said she hopes this signals an end to “this politicized investigation.”
And Deluzio said he will continue to remain unbothered by the Trump administration.
“I will not be intimidated for a single second by the Trump Administration or Justice Department lawyers who tried and failed to indict me today,” he said.
“American citizens on a grand jury refused to go along with this attempt to charge me with a crime for stating the law in a way Trump and his enablers didn’t like. They may want Americans to be afraid to speak out or to disagree—but patriotism demands courage in this moment. DON’T GIVE UP THE SHIP!”
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