Mark Kelly Sues Pete Hegseth in Federal Court for Vengefully Going After His Rank
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) sued Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday for ordering the U.S. Navy to “reconsider” his rank and pay level.
Hegseth’s retaliation follows Kelly’s participation in a video reminding the military that they cannot follow illegal orders. While other lawmakers were also in attendance, Kelly — with his possible presidential ambitions and military retirement — became a target of the administration.
Kelly is suing Hegseth for constitutional and statutory violations, including violating his freedom of speech.
“It appears that never in our nation’s history has the Executive Branch imposed military sanctions on a Member of Congress for engaging in disfavored political speech,” the lawsuit states.
He warned that the administration’s attempt to punish Kelly signals “to military retirees and members of Congress that criticism of the executive branch’s use of the armed forces could result in retaliation through military channels.”
He also advances a separation of powers argument, pointing out that the executive branch uses military channels to punish a member of Congress responsible for overseeing and investigating the president’s use of the armed forces.
The complaint documents President Trump’s prolonged anger at Truth Social after the video was posted, accusing the lawmakers of “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” »
Kelly and other members received so many threats that they, their staff and their families were given special security, according to the complaint. Kelly himself, it is said, “received numerous death threats.”
Kelly is seeking a declaration of Hegseth’s actions as illegal, as well as a permanent injunction on any future actions that follow through on Hegseth’s threats of further criminal and administrative retaliation.
“Pete Hegseth wants our longest-serving veterans to live with the constant threat that they could be stripped of their rank and pay years, or even decades, after leaving the military, simply because he or another Secretary of Defense doesn’t like what they said,” Kelly tweeted Monday afternoon. “This is not how things work in the United States of America, and I will not tolerate it.”
Read the lawsuit here:
