U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro ended an effort to indict six Democrat lawmakers after a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., rejected the case, NBC News first reported.
Roughly two weeks ago, a grand jury unanimously declined to indict the lawmakers over a social media video in which they urged members of the military and intelligence communities not to comply with unlawful orders.
The decision underscored that jurors did not believe prosecutors met the probable cause threshold required to move forward.
Pirro's office had sought charges against Sens. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Mark Kelly of Arizona, along with Reps. Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, Jason Crow of Colorado, and Pennsylvania Reps. Chris DeLuzio and Chrissy Houlahan — all Democrats with military or intelligence backgrounds.
President Donald Trump sharply criticized the lawmakers in a series of social media posts, calling them traitors and accusing them of committing "SEDITION AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL." Trump also suggested their conduct could carry severe penalties.
The video at the center of the controversy featured the lawmakers reminding service members that under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, they can refuse illegal orders.
The lawmakers had all conceded, however, that no illegal orders had been given prior to their video.
Despite the failed indictment attempt in Washington, legal experts note that the decision does not automatically prevent federal prosecutors from pursuing charges in another jurisdiction, though there have been no public indications that such a move is being considered, CBS News reported Tuesday.
The New York Times reported that Pirro "abruptly" directed her team to seek the indictment before the grand jury declined to proceed.
Following the grand jury's decision, the lawmakers signaled they would not back down.
"Whether or not Pirro succeeded is not the point," Slotkin said. "It's that President Trump continues to weaponize our justice system against his perceived enemies."
When asked whether Pirro and Trump had discussed the potential prosecution, a spokesman for Pirro declined to comment to NBC News.
A White House official said the administration does not comment on potential conversations the president may or may not have had, the report said.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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