FBI Seeks Interviews With Dems in Video11/26 06:01

   Democratic lawmakers who appeared in a social media video urging U.S. troops 
to defy "illegal orders" say the FBI has contacted them to begin scheduling 
interviews, signaling a possible inquiry into the matter.

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democratic lawmakers who appeared in a social media video 
urging U.S. troops to defy "illegal orders" say the FBI has contacted them to 
begin scheduling interviews, signaling a possible inquiry into the matter.

   It would mark the second investigation tied to the video, coming a day after 
the Pentagon said it was reviewing Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona over 
potential violations of military law. The FBI and Pentagon actions come after 
President Donald Trump accused the lawmakers of sedition and said it is 
"punishable by DEATH" in a social media post.

   Together, the inquiries mark an extraordinary escalation for federal law 
enforcement and military institutions that traditionally steer clear of 
partisan clashes. They also underscore the administration's willingness to push 
legal limits against its critics, even when they are sitting members of 
Congress. Lawmakers in the video urge troops to reject any illegal orders from 
their superiors, something they are already duty-bound to do.

   "President Trump is using the FBI as a tool to intimidate and harass Members 
of Congress," a group of four Democratic House members said in a statement 
Tuesday. "Yesterday, the FBI contacted the House and Senate Sergeants at Arms 
requesting interviews."

   Democrats call inquiry a 'scare tactic'

   Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, one of the six Democratic lawmakers in the 
video, told reporters Tuesday that "last night the counterterrorism division at 
the FBI sent a note to the members of Congress, saying they are opening what 
appears to be an inquiry against the six of us." Slotkin called it a "scare 
tactic by" Trump.

   "Whether you agree with the video or don't agree with the video, the 
question to me is: is this the appropriate response for a president of the 
United States to go after and seek to weaponize the federal government against 
those he disagrees with?" said Slotkin.

   The group of four Democratic House members said in their statement that "no 
amount of intimidation or harassment will ever stop us from doing our jobs and 
honoring our Constitution."

   All six of the Democratic lawmakers in the video have served in the military 
or intelligence community.

   Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska criticized both inquiries on social 
media, saying that accusing the lawmakers "of treason and sedition for 
rightfully pointing out that servicemembers can refuse illegal orders is 
reckless and flat-out wrong."

   "The Department of Defense and FBI surely have more important priorities 
than this frivolous investigation," wrote Murkowski.

   FBI provides no insight into interview requests

   The FBI went through the top security officials for the House and Senate to 
request interviews with each of the six lawmakers. The lawmakers said they had 
no further information and the FBI has not made clear on what basis they were 
seeking the interviews.

   The FBI declined to comment Tuesday, but Director Kash Patel, in an 
interview with journalist Catherine Herridge, described it as an "ongoing 
matter" in explaining why he could not discuss details.

   Asked for his reaction to the video, Patel said, "What goes through my head 
is the same thing that goes through my head in any case: is there a lawful 
predicate to open up an inquiry and investigation, or is there not? And that 
decision will be made by the career agents and analysts here at the FBI."

   The video at the heart of the inquiries

   In the video, lawmakers said they needed troops to "stand up for our laws 
... our Constitution." Kelly, who was a fighter pilot before becoming an 
astronaut and then retiring at the rank of captain, told troops that "you can 
refuse illegal orders."

   After the Pentagon announced the investigation into Kelly on Monday, Defense 
Secretary Pete Hegseth referred it to the Navy on Tuesday and requested a 
briefing by Dec. 10.

   The lawmakers didn't mention specific circumstances in the video. But at an 
event Tuesday in Michigan, Slotkin pointed to the Trump administration ordering 
the military to blow up small boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific 
Ocean accused of ferrying drugs and continued attempts at deploying National 
Guard troops into U.S. cities despite some legal setbacks.

   "It wasn't that there was any one incident, it was the sheer number of 
people coming to us and saying, 'I'm worried. I am being sent to Washington or 
I'm being sent to LA or Chicago, North Carolina now, and I'm concerned I'm 
going to be asked to do something that I don't know if I should do,'" said 
Slotkin. "So that's where it came from."

   Troops, especially uniformed commanders, do have specific obligations to 
reject orders that are unlawful, if they make that determination.

   Broad legal precedence also holds that just following orders -- colloquially 
known as the "Nuremberg defense," as it was used unsuccessfully by senior Nazi 
officials to justify their actions under Adolf Hitler -- doesn't absolve troops.