Pentagon threatens to recall Sen. Mark Kelly to military service in wake of illegal orders video

The Pentagon said Monday that it is investigating Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, a retired US Navy captain, in light of “serious allegations of misconduct” the department has received against him, and could even recall him to active duty to face a court martial or administrative punishment.

The investigation comes as President Donald Trump has been pushing relentlessly for consequences for Kelly and other Democratic lawmakers over a video they made reminding servicemembers of their duty to disobey illegal orders, calling their actions “seditious” and “treason.”

Because Kelly was a senior officer who retired from the Navy, he is required to remain available for recall to the military by law.

In a statement announcing the review, the Defense Department seemingly alluded to the video.

“All servicemembers are reminded that they have a legal obligation under the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) to obey lawful orders and that orders are presumed to be lawful,” the statement said.
“A servicemember’s personal philosophy does not justify or excuse the disobedience of an otherwise lawful order.”

Although the video released by the Democratic lawmakers didn’t reference what orders service members might be receiving that would potentially be illegal, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have raised concerns repeatedly about the legality of US military strikes against suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and the US military’s deployment to cities across the US over the protest of governors.

This is a developing story and will be updated.