Grand Jury Rejects Charges Against ‘Seditious Six’

Adriana Stone 0 1 min read

Grand Jury Rejects Charges Against ‘Seditious Six’

A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. has declined to indict six Democratic lawmakers who urged members of the military to refuse so-called “illegal orders.” The decision was reported by multiple outlets and marks a pause in the Justice Department’s recent push to criminally pursue political opponents.

The lawmakers named in the video are Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Representatives Maggie Goodlander (NH), Jason Crow (CO), Chris Deluzio (PA), and Chrissy Houlahan (PA). In the clip, they repeatedly said phrases like “You can refuse illegal orders” and “You must refuse illegal orders.” The video went viral last November and drew immediate outrage from supporters of President Donald Trump.

Sources told reporters the Justice Department sought to charge the lawmakers under 18 U.S.C. § 2387, a statute that addresses inducing or assisting insubordination in the armed forces. But the grand jury did not return indictments.

CBS News and The New York Times were among the outlets to report the decision. The news follows a pattern of high-profile legal attention tied to President Donald Trump, who criticized the lawmakers at the time and called their comments “seditious,” demanding they be “arrested and put on trial.”

The fallout has not been limited to headlines. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth publicly censured Senator Mark Kelly and moved to cut his military retirement pay, citing the video.

Representative Jason Crow reacted angrily after the grand jury decision and blasted the administration. He said, “If these fuckers think that they’re going to intimidate us and threaten and bully me in the silence, and they’re going to go after political opponents and get us to back down, they have another thing coming. The tide is turning,” and added, “Everyone should be appalled by the fact that Donald Trump and his goons at Department of Justice are weaponizing the justice system just to try to silence dissent and to crush political opponents.”

This story is developing. Expect more statements from the Department of Justice and the lawmakers involved as both sides respond. For now, the grand jury’s decision leaves the matter without criminal charges.

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