A federal grand jury in Washington has declined to bring charges against six Democratic lawmakers after an attempt by the Justice Department to indict them, US media reported. The lawmakers had posted a short video in November urging service members to refuse illegal orders. Featured in the video were Arizona’s Mark Kelly, Michigan’s Elissa Slotkin, Colorado’s Jason Crow, Pennsylvania’s Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan, and New Hampshire’s Maggie Goodlander.
The decision marks a rare defeat for federal prosecutors, who usually need only a majority of grand jurors to establish probable cause for a crime. Elissa Slotkin said on Instagram that the video “simply quoted the law” and expressed hope that the decision ends what she called a politicized investigation.
The video drew outrage from former President Donald Trump, who called the lawmakers “traitors” and suggested they should face jail or even death. Trump has increasingly relied on military force domestically and abroad, including deploying the National Guard in US cities, launching overseas strikes, and targeting alleged drug-smuggling operations.
The Pentagon had previously considered a court-martial for Kelly, a former astronaut, as part of the administration’s response. Democratic officials also accused Trump of using the FBI to intimidate members of Congress after the video, with law enforcement reportedly requesting interviews with lawmakers following their criticism of the former president.
