Six Democratic legislators are being interviewed by federal authorities after they were seen in a widely seen video advising military and intelligence workers that they are free to reject “illegal orders.” Rep. Chris Deluzio, Rep. Maggie Goodlander, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, Rep. Jason Crow, Sen. Elissa Slotkin, and Sen. Mark Kelly are all seen in the film, which was made public last week.
In order to ascertain whether the politicians’ remarks violated any laws, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, acting through the Capitol Police and the House and Senate Sergeants-at-Arms, has been contacted by the Department of Justice.
The executive branch immediately reacted negatively to the video, calling the message “seditious behavior” and stating that the lawmakers had to be detained and put on trial. A parallel investigation of Sen. Kelly’s military status has been started by the US Department of Defense, which includes the prospect of recalling him to active duty in order to pursue court-martial procedures.
All of the participating lawmakers have military or intelligence experience, and they have defended their message as a legitimate reminder of service personnel’ constitutional obligations. They deny the investigations’ political motivations and insist they acted within their oversight authority.