US EditionJudge seems skeptical of legal justification for Pentagon’s punishment of Sen. Mark Kelly
A federal judge expressed doubt about the Pentagon's legal basis to demote Sen. Mark Kelly for urging troops to refuse unlawful orders, highlighting First Amendment concerns.
- On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon questioned whether the Pentagon can lawfully censure Sen. Mark Kelly over a November video, and said he hopes to issue a ruling by next Wednesday.
- The Pentagon began investigating Kelly in late November under a law allowing retired members to face court-martial, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth formally censured him on Jan. 5.
- The judge noted the absence of Supreme Court precedent as U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said he knew of no case justifying punishment under the UCMJ, while Kelly's lawyer Benjamin Mizer argued no ruling supports diminished speech rights for retirees.
- Leon did not rule from the bench and said he hopes to issue a decision by February 11, while Kelly is seeking a preliminary injunction to block Hegseth's pay and rank cuts.
- Hegseth and President Donald Trump publicly attacked Kelly, who has raised $12.5 million since the video, amid legal questions described as novel by Judge Leon.
49 Articles
49 Articles
Judge sees Hegseth bid to demote Sen. Mark Kelly as assault on free speech of veterans
WASHINGTON – The judge in Sen. Mark Kelly’s bid to avoid a post-retirement demotion from the Navy cast Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s moves as an assault on veterans’ free speech and the independence of Congress.
Federal judge suggests he'll block Trump admin's attempt to punish Mark Kelly
After Sen. Mark Kelly (R-Ariz.) called on troops to remember their oath to disobey illegal orders, President Donald Trump's Department of Defense (DoD) made moves to cut his military pension. Now, a judge is likely to rule that move illegal.That's according to a Tuesday article in CNN, which reported that U.S. District judge Richard Leon (an appointee of former President George W. Bush) scoffed at the DoD's argument for punishing the Arizona sen…
Judge skeptical of Pentagon's efforts to punish Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly over "illegal orders" video
A federal judge expressed skepticism over the Pentagon's effort to downgrade the pay and rank of Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly after he urged service members not to follow unlawful military orders.
Pioneer Press
Judge seems skeptical of legal justification for Pentagon’s punishment of Sen. Mark Kelly
The judge didn’t immediately rule from the bench on Kelly’s claims that Pentagon officials violated his First Amendment free speech rights.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 70% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
