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Judge blocks Hegseth, Pentagon bid to punish Mark Kelly over ‘illegal orders’ video
- A federal judge in Washington temporarily blocked the Pentagon from punishing Sen. Mark Kelly, citing violations of his First Amendment rights, on Thursday.
- The dispute began with a November social media video in which Sen. Mark Kelly and five other Democratic veterans urged service members to refuse unlawful orders, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a Jan. 5 censure prompting Kelly to sue earlier this year.
- In a 29-page ruling the judge rebuked the administration, authoring a scathing opinion with multiple exclamation points urging defendants to respect retired servicemembers and citing the amicus brief on veterans' fear of reprisal.
- Leon barred enforcement and asked for a 30-day status update, prohibiting the Pentagon from punishing Kelly while the lawsuit continues and blocking demotion in retired rank and retirement pay.
- The ruling raises questions about extending military speech limits to retirees, as Sen. Mark Kelly said `This is a critical moment to show this administration they can't keep undermining Americans' rights`.
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources82
Leaning Left27Leaning Right9Center38Last UpdatedBias Distribution51% Center
Bias Distribution
- 51% of the sources are Center
51% Center
L 37%
C 51%
12%
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