@sacramentourbanmedia916: Attorneys representing Sen. #MarkKelly filed suit Monday to stop Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from moving forward with actions that would lower Kelly’s military retirement pay and downgrade his rank. The legal challenge stems from Kelly’s public statements encouraging U.S. service members to reject unlawful orders. The complaint contends that disciplining Kelly for those remarks would violate his First Amendment rights and could discourage lawmakers from exercising oversight of the military. According to the filing, allowing the Pentagon’s actions to proceed would cause “immediate and irreparable harm,” arguing that the proposed censure and rank review amount to government punishment for constitutionally protected speech and pose a direct threat to Kelly’s pay and status as a retired Navy captain. Hegseth has not publicly addressed the lawsuit. A Defense Department spokesperson told CNN that while the Pentagon is aware of the case, it does not comment on pending litigation. The lawsuit, which also lists the Defense Department, the Navy, and the Secretary of the Navy as defendants, was filed one week after Hegseth announced plans to take administrative action against Kelly. Those steps include issuing a formal letter of censure and seeking to reduce the retirement pay Kelly earns from his naval service. The dispute centers on a video Kelly posted in November alongside five other lawmakers with military backgrounds. In the video, the group urged service members to refuse orders they believed to be unlawful, particularly in the context of potential actions by the Trump administration. Both Hegseth and President Donald Trump have publicly criticized Kelly over the message. In a censure letter obtained by CNN, Hegseth accused Kelly of going beyond general legal guidance. The letter alleges that Kelly’s statements were intended to persuade service members to disobey specific operations he labeled as illegal, rather than offering broad education about the obligation to reject clearly unlawful commands.#fyp #viral

SUM NEWS

Open In TikTok:

Region: US

Tuesday 13 January 2026 20:50:34 GMT