Democrat lawmakers who urged American troops to ignore unlawful commands are now responding to what they describe as a government investigation into their actions.
Notification of Investigation
Democratic Legislator Elissa Slotkin of the state of Michigan stated that the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Monday informed the half-dozen lawmakers who appeared in recent video about the investigation.
"No amount of intimidation or targeting will never prevent us from doing our jobs and honoring our founding document," four Congressional representatives declared.
Presidential Response
Their message to troops prompted President Trump to accuse the Democratic lawmakers of "treasonous conduct, punishable by death" and triggered a Defense Department review of "significant claims of improper behavior" against Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, who likewise appeared in the video.
The Justice Department declined to provide statement on the reported probe.
Video Details
The recording by Democratic officials, each of whom have served in the military or intelligence community, was distributed last week by the Michigan senator and includes Senator Kelly and US Representatives Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander, Chrissy Houlahan and Jason Crow.
The communication came amid increasing friction between the Trump administration and the Venezuelan government, as well as Democrat-led municipalities resisting Trump's deployment of state military forces to the region.
Federal Bureau Participation
Slotkin stated on the following day that the Federal Bureau of Investigation's counterterrorism unit delivered a note to the Congress members to inform them of an reported inquiry into the elected officials.
"The President's reaction and the deployment of the FBI against us is exactly why we created the recording," she stated at an event in her home state.
"He believes in employing the federal government against his imagined adversaries, and he's not afraid to utilize the arms of the government against people he disagrees with," she said, characterizing Trump's behavior as "a scare tactic."
Congressional Reaction
Likewise, Congress members Deluzio, Goodlander, Houlahan and Crow asserted that Trump is employing the FBI as "tool to intimidate and harass" legislators, verifying that the FBI reached out to the Congressional security officials to request meetings.
"We took an oath to uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States. That oath lasts a lifetime, and we plan to keep it. We will not be bullied. We will never surrender our principles," they declared.
Executive Response
The recording - in which the Arizona senator accused the government of "setting our armed forces and security professionals against American citizens" - provoked the President's ire and he implied on social media that they be detained, locked up and hanged.
His words drew bipartisan censure and the chief executive ultimately retracted his statements in a television appearance, explaining that he was "not threatening death."
Defense Department Action
On the start of the week, the Pentagon accused Senator Kelly, a previous captain in the US Navy and space explorer, of breaching military law. The military leadership announced it would perform a review to establish whether the Arizona lawmaker should be recalled to military service to undergo military judicial process.
Although Kelly left from the military, he is nevertheless subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice - a national legislation established by Congress in 1951 that subjects members of the military to a unique system of rules.
Military Leader Statement
Defence secretary Pete Hegseth charged the senator of breaking the UCMJ and of employing his rank and service affiliation as a way to provide "the appearance of authority to his statements" in the recording.
He continued that the senator's behavior "brings discredit upon the armed forces and will be addressed appropriately."
Senator Kelly's
But Kelly also responded, saying that he has "given significant service to this country to be intimidated by intimidators who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution."
Accounts indicated on the following day that the Federal Bureau and Department of Justice contacted Capitol Police to schedule interviews with the six legislators.
The FBI declined to provide statement on Tuesday when approached by news organizations.
