FBI probes congressional Democrats who warned military about illegal orders

Source: Reuters

November 25, 2025 12:29 PM EST Updated 40 mins ago


WASHINGTON, Nov 25 (Reuters) - The FBI has requested interviews with six Democratic U.S. lawmakers who in a video message told members of the military they can legally refuse to carry out unlawful orders, a U.S. Justice Department official told Reuters on Tuesday.

The move, reported earlier by Fox News, comes a day after the Pentagon threatened to recall Senator Mark Kelly, a Navy veteran and one of the six lawmakers, to active duty potentially to face military charges over what Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth described on social media as "seditious" acts.

President Donald Trump, who critics have said has sought to harness the power of the government to try to stifle dissent, also has accused the six Democrats of sedition and said in a social media post that the crime is punishable by death. The Justice Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the FBI interviews with the lawmakers were to determine "if there's any wrongdoing, and then go from there." The FBI is headed by Trump appointee Kash Patel.

The lawmakers have described the Trump administration's threats toward them as an intimidation tactic that would fail to silence them. They also said their video statements accurately reflected U.S. law. American troops swear an oath to the U.S. Constitution, not the president, and under military rules must follow "any lawful general order or regulation."

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/fbi-scheduling-interviews-with-democratic-lawmakers-who-warned-military-about-2025-11-25/