Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) said the Department of Justice has opened an inquiry into her participation in a November video that urged U.S. service members and intelligence personnel to “refuse illegal orders,” The New York Times reported.
Slotkin, a former CIA officer, told The Times she learned of the probe after the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington — led in this matter by Jeanine Pirro — requested to speak with her or her attorney. A spokesman for Pirro’s office declined to confirm or deny an investigation.
The video, released in November, featured six Democratic members of Congress who previously served in the armed forces or the intelligence community. Alongside Slotkin were Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.). The participants noted their prior service across the Navy, Army, Air Force and the Central Intelligence Agency.
"You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders," the lawmakers said in the video.
The clip drew an intense response from former President Donald Trump, who denounced the lawmakers' message as "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH," language that amplified public scrutiny and political debate.
In a related development, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth last week removed Sen. Kelly's military rank in response to his appearance in the video. Kelly said he would respond to Hegseth's action, escalating the confrontation over the video.
Reports say it is unclear what potential crime, if any, investigators believe the video might implicate or which statutes could apply. The Times also reported that Pirro — a former Fox News host whose ex-husband received a last-minute pardon from Mr. Trump in 2021 — has opened other politically sensitive inquiries, including a reported criminal probe into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
CNN reported that White House officials were frustrated and reportedly surprised by the Powell inquiry, calling it "blindsiding" to some aides. The Powell probe and the Slotkin inquiry, whether related or separate, have heightened tensions between career officials, prosecutors and political leaders.
Source: The New York Times; CNN; Mediaite
