Democrat legislators who urged US troops to disobey unlawful commands are now reacting to what they describe as a government inquiry into their conduct.
Notification of Investigation
Democratic Legislator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan announced that the FBI on Monday notified the six lawmakers who were featured in recent recording about the examination.
"Any attempt at intimidation or harassment will never prevent us from doing our jobs and upholding our Constitution," several US House members stated.
Presidential Response
Their message to military members prompted President Trump to accuse the Democrats of "seditious behavior, punishable by death" and triggered a Pentagon review of "serious allegations of misconduct" against Democrat Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, who also participated in the video.
The Department of Justice refused to comment on the reported probe.
Recording Details
The recording by Democrats, all of whom have served in the military or national security sector, was shared recently by the Michigan senator and features Kelly and US Representatives Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander, Chrissy Houlahan and Jason Crow.
The communication came amid increasing tensions between the current administration and the government of Venezuela, as well as Democrat-led municipalities resisting Trump's deployment of state military forces to the region.
Federal Bureau Participation
The senator said on the following day that the FBI's counterterrorism unit sent a note to the legislators to inform them of an reported inquiry into the elected officials.
"The President's response and the use of the Federal Bureau against us is exactly why we created the video," she stated at an event in her home state.
"He believes in using the federal government against his perceived adversaries, and he's not hesitant to use the resources of the government against individuals he opposes," she commented, describing Trump's behavior as "intimidation."
Congressional Response
Similarly, Congress members Deluzio, Goodlander, Houlahan and Crow said that the President is using the FBI as "instrument to pressure and harass" members of Congress, confirming that the Federal Bureau reached out to the Congressional security officials to arrange meetings.
"We swore an pledge to support and defend the founding document of the United States of America. That commitment is permanent, and we plan to honor it. We won't be intimidated. We will never surrender our principles," they stated.
Executive Reaction
The video - in which Kelly accused the government of "pitting our armed forces and intelligence community personnel against the American people" - drew Trump's anger and he suggested on social media that they be arrested, locked up and hanged.
His comments drew cross-party condemnation and the president ultimately retracted his remarks in a TV interview, clarifying that he was "not advocating capital punishment."
Pentagon Action
On the start of the week, the Pentagon alleged the Arizona legislator, a previous officer in the Navy and astronaut, of violating armed forces regulations. The military leadership said it would conduct a examination to establish whether the state lawmaker should be recalled to military service to face military judicial process.
Although Kelly retired from the military, he is still bound by the Uniform Code of Military Justice - a federal law enacted by Congress in 1951 that subjects personnel of the armed forces to a special set of regulations.
Defense Secretary Comment
Defence secretary Pete Hegseth accused Kelly of breaking the UCMJ and of using his position and military background as a way to lend "the impression of authority to his statements" in the video.
He added that the senator's conduct "casts doubt upon the military and will be handled appropriately."
Senator Kelly's
But the Arizona senator also responded, saying that he has "given significant service to this nation to be intimidated by bullies who prioritize their own power than protecting the Constitution."
Reports indicated on Tuesday that the FBI and Justice Department contacted Capitol Police to schedule meetings with the six legislators.
The FBI refused to comment on Tuesday when approached by media outlets.
