Federal appeals court skeptical of Hegseth Pentagon bid to punish Mark Kelly
Judges questioned whether the Pentagon can punish a retired service member for speech that urged troops to refuse illegal orders.
- A federal appeals court expressed skepticism towards the Pentagon's attempt to punish Senator Mark Kelly for a video urging service members to disobey illegal orders.
- Kelly's lawyers argued that the Pentagon's actions amounted to retaliation against protected political speech.
- The appeals court is reviewing a lower court's injunction temporarily blocking the Pentagon from disciplining Kelly over the video.
34 Articles
34 Articles
Appeals Court Appears Likely to Reject Hegseth’s Claim Against Sen. Kelly
WASHINGTON—A federal appeals court on May 7 seemed to side with Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) in his First Amendment suit against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Kelly, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, appeared in a video last November with other Democratic lawmakers urging soldiers to disobey any “unlawful” orders they received. All of those members of Congress are military or intelligence community veterans. Hegseth responded with a letter in January ce…
Nebraska Examiner
Whether Sen. Mark Kelly advised ‘disobedience’ to service members argued in appeals case
Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly speaks outside the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse and William B. Bryant Annex in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, May 7, 2026, following oral arguments in federal appeals court in his case against the Defense Department. Former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords, who is married to Kelly, and supporters surround Kelly. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)WASHINGTON — Attorneys for the Trump administration argu…
Louisiana Illuminator
Minnesota ReformerWhether Sen. Mark Kelly advised 'disobedience' to service members argued in appeals case
Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly speaks outside the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse and William B. Bryant Annex in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, May 7, 2026, following oral arguments in federal appeals court in his case against the Defense Department. Former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords, who is married to Kelly, and supporters surround Kelly. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)WASHINGTON — Attorneys for the Trump administration argu…
Mark Kelly calls Trump’s attempt to strip his retirement rank over free speech ‘absurd’ and ‘outrageous’
Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly speaks outside the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse and William B. Bryant Annex in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, May 7, 2026, following oral arguments in federal appeals court in his case against the Defense Department. Former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords, who is married to Kelly, and supporters surround Kelly. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)WASHINGTON — Attorneys for the Trump administration argu…
Trump's retribution campaign against Mark Kelly has backfired
According to new reporting from Politico, a federal appeals court is poised to quash Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s effort to punish Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), who drew the ire of the White House by telling troops to reject illegal orders. This represents a major blow to the administration’s war of narratives as it has attempted to smear Navy veteran and former astronaut Kelly as a traitor while asserting its broad military powers. The matter …
The federal appeals court seemed willing on Thursday to reject the attempt by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to sanction Democratic Senator Mark Kelly for his call to members of the U.S. military service to refuse to comply...
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