Democrat Elissa Slotkin says she is under investigation for video on illegal orders
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., says federal prosecutors are investigating her after she participated in a video urging members of the military to refuse illegal orders, her office confirmed to NPR on Wednesday.
Slotkin says she found out about the investigation when she received a call from the office of Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. The New York Times first reported Slotkin’s knowledge of the investigation.
A spokesperson for Pirro’s office declined to, “confirm or deny the existence of an investigation.”
The video, posted on social media in November, featured six Congressional Democrats, all with military or intelligence backgrounds, pointing to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
“No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution,” the lawmakers said.
President Trump called the video message “treasonous” and amplified a social media post suggesting the six members should be hanged. The White House later said the president was not suggesting the six members be killed. Still, several reported receiving death threats and bomb scares.
“This is the President’s playbook,” Slotkin said Wednesday. “Truth doesn’t matter, facts don’t matter. And anyone who disagrees with him becomes an enemy and he then weaponizes the federal government against them. It’s legal intimidation and physical intimidation meant to get you to shut up.”
Slotkin said authorities investigated 1,000 credible threats, she received a bomb threat at her house and her parents were victims of swatting– the term for when someone makes a false report of a crime to law enforcement to elicit an overwhelming police response.
“Right now speaking out against the abuse of power is the most patriotic thing we can do,” Slotkin said.
In November, the FBI requested interviews with the members who participated in the video.
And Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said this week that the Pentagon would censure one of the lawmakers, Sen. Mark Kelly D-Ariz., a retired Navy combat pilot.
That could allow the Pentagon to demote Kelly or reduce his retirement pay. Kelly sued Hegseth and the Pentagon on Monday, saying the government is retaliating for speech protected by the First Amendment.
The action comes as the Trump administration is wielding the Justice Department to target other political opponents, including Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
NPR’s Ryan Lucas contributed reporting.
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