Month: November 2025

The Pentagon confirmed Monday that it has launched a review into Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly after receiving what it described as “serious allegations of misconduct.” The announcement follows a video released last week in which Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers urged members of the military and intelligence community to refuse unlawful directives from the Trump administration.

Defense officials said the inquiry will determine whether further steps are necessary, noting possible outcomes could include recalling Kelly — a retired Navy captain — to active duty for potential court-martial proceedings or other administrative actions. The department emphasized that the process would follow military law, adding that public comment will be limited to protect the integrity of the case.

Kelly, who spent more than 20 years in the Navy as a combat pilot and instructor before serving as a NASA astronaut, said he first learned of the investigation from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s social media post. “If this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won’t work,” he wrote, adding, “I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution.”

The lawmakers’ video in question featured Kelly alongside Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire — all veterans or former national security officials. In the clip, they told service members that “you can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders.” The message drew intense criticism from Republicans, including Hegseth, who labeled the video “despicable, reckless, and false,” arguing it undermined military discipline. The Pentagon also referenced federal statutes barring efforts to disrupt the loyalty or morale of U.S. forces.

President Trump escalated the dispute in a post on Truth Social, calling the group “traitors” and accusing them of “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” before later saying he was “not threatening death” but believed the lawmakers were “in serious trouble.” Several participants in the video have since reported receiving threats, with Kelly warning that Trump’s rhetoric “could have serious, serious consequences.”

Hegseth noted that only Kelly remains subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Supporters, including fellow Arizona Democrat Sen. Ruben Gallego, defended him, saying Kelly has served the country honorably and was reiterating long-standing legal obligations. Kelly has maintained that the video simply reinforced the oath shared by service members, stating, “All we said is we reiterated what basically is the rule of law that members of the military should not, cannot follow illegal orders.”

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A federal judge has dismissed the criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, ruling that the indictments were secured by a prosecutor who lacked lawful authority to bring them.

U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie found that Interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan — installed after the Trump administration forced out her predecessor — was unconstitutionally appointed and therefore unable to present cases to a grand jury. Currie wrote in her 29-page ruling that “because Ms. Halligan had no lawful authority to present the indictment, I will grant Mr. Comey’s motion and dismiss the indictment without prejudice,” adding that “all actions flowing from Ms. Halligan’s defective appointment, including securing and signing Mr. Comey’s indictment, were unlawful exercises of executive power.” A similar order tossed the case against Letitia James, with the dismissals issued without prejudice, leaving open the possibility of refiling (although the statute of limitations in Comey’s case may have already expired.) The Department of Justice also can appeal to a higher court.

Halligan, a former insurance lawyer with no prior prosecutorial experience, was a member of Mr. Trump’s defense team in one of the criminal cases brought against him by former special counsel Jack Smith. Attorney General Pam Bondi tapped Halligan as interim U.S. attorney shortly after her predecessor, Erik Siebert, abruptly left the post and appointed Halligan under Section 546, the federal law that governs U.S. attorney vacancies and allows the attorney general to select an interim U.S. attorney, who can then serve for 120 days. The Trump administration has invoked that law and another measure to install temporary prosecutors in New Jersey, Nevada and Los Angeles, though three different federal judges have all found they were serving unlawfully.

Halligan pursued the indictments after career Justice Department lawyers reportedly objected, bringing charges accusing Comey of making false statements and obstructing a congressional proceeding tied to his 2020 Senate testimony, while James had been indicted on bank and mortgage fraud allegations involving a Virginia property. Both pleaded not guilty. The judge rejected attempts by Attorney General Pam Bondi to retroactively validate Halligan’s actions, writing, “That cannot be the law.”

In a video statement, Comey said “the message has to be sent that the president of the United States cannot use the Department of Justice to target his political enemies. I’m grateful that the court ended the case against me, which was a prosecution based on malevolence and incompetence, and a reflection of what the Department of Justice has become under Donald Trump, which is heartbreaking.”

James celebrated the ruling, saying, “I am heartened by today’s victory and grateful for the prayers and support I have received from around the country. I remain fearless in the face of these baseless charges as I continue fighting for New Yorkers every single day.”

According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the Justice Department will appeal the decision.

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