🔗 Share this article

Democrat lawmakers who urged US troops to ignore unlawful orders are now responding to what they call a federal inquiry into their conduct.

Alert of Probe

Democratic Legislator Elissa Slotkin of the state of Michigan announced that the Federal Bureau of Investigation on the start of the week notified the six lawmakers who appeared in recent video about the examination.

"Any attempt at intimidation or targeting will ever prevent us from doing our jobs and upholding our founding document," several Congressional representatives declared.

Presidential Response

Their statement to troops prompted President Trump to allege the Democrats of "treasonous conduct, punishable by death" and triggered a Pentagon examination of "significant claims of misconduct" against Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, who likewise appeared in the video.

The Department of Justice refused to comment on the reported investigation.

Video Particulars

The video by Democrats, all of whom have worked in the military or intelligence community, was shared last week by the Michigan senator and features Kelly and US Representatives Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander, Chrissy Houlahan and Jason Crow.

The message came amid escalating tensions between the current administration and the Venezuelan government, as well as Democrat-led municipalities resisting Trump's deployment of state military forces to the area.

Federal Bureau Involvement

The senator stated on the following day that the FBI's national security division sent a notification to the Congress members to notify them of an reported inquiry into the lawmakers.

"His reaction and the use of the Federal Bureau against us is precisely why we created the video," she stated at an event in Michigan.

"He believes in employing the federal government against his perceived opponents, and he's not afraid to utilize the resources of the government against people he disagrees with," she commented, characterizing Trump's behavior as "intimidation."

Legislative Response

Likewise, Congress members Deluzio, Goodlander, Houlahan and Crow asserted that the President is employing the FBI as "instrument to pressure and harass" members of Congress, confirming that the FBI reached out to the Congressional security officials to request meetings.

"We took an pledge to uphold and protect the founding document of the United States. That oath is permanent, and we intend to keep it. We won't be intimidated. We will never give up the ship," they declared.

Presidential Response

The recording - in which Kelly accused the government of "pitting our armed forces and security professionals against the American people" - provoked the President's ire and he implied on social media that they be detained, locked up and executed.

His words received bipartisan censure and the president ultimately walked back his remarks in a TV interview, explaining that he was "not advocating death."

Pentagon Action

On the start of the week, the Pentagon accused Senator Kelly, a former officer in the US Navy and space explorer, of violating military law. The defence department said it would conduct a review to determine whether the Arizona lawmaker should be returned to active duty to undergo military judicial process.

Although Kelly left from the military, he is still bound by the Uniform Code of Military Justice - a national legislation enacted by the legislature in 1951 that subjects members of the armed forces to a special set of rules.

Defense Leader Statement

Defence secretary Pete Hegseth charged the senator of violating the UCMJ and of using his rank and service affiliation as a way to lend "the impression of legitimacy to his statements" in the video.

He continued that the senator's conduct "casts doubt upon the armed forces and will be handled properly."

Legislator Kelly's

But Kelly likewise responded, stating that he has "given too much to this country to be silenced by intimidators who prioritize their own power than protecting the Constitution."

Reports indicated on the following day that the FBI and Department of Justice contacted Congressional security to schedule meetings with the half-dozen members of Congress.

The Federal Bureau declined to provide statement on that day when approached by news organizations.