WASHINGTON — Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday condemned what he described as a “chilling attempt” by the Justice Department to indict six Democratic members of Congress over a video urging military personnel not to follow unlawful orders.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Schumer said a grand jury rejected the department’s effort to charge the lawmakers, who had posted a video reminding service members of their oath to the Constitution. Schumer called the move unprecedented and accused the administration of trying to use federal prosecutors to retaliate against political speech.
“The mere fact that it was even attempted is alarming,” Schumer said, arguing that seeking an indictment over the video amounted to a threat against the First Amendment and the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches.
Schumer praised Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, along with Reps. Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan, for what he called their “courage” and “loyalty to our democracy.” He said the entire Democratic caucus stands behind them and vowed further scrutiny of whether prosecutorial power was misused for political purposes.
He also urged Republican lawmakers to speak out, warning that attempts to prosecute members of Congress for protected speech could amount to a constitutional crisis. “If the executive branch can attempt to prosecute members of the legislative branch for exercising free speech, that is not a Democratic problem or a Republican problem,” Schumer said. “It is a constitutional crisis.”
Schumer said that although the indictment effort failed, it represents what he described as a broader effort to test whether the criminal justice system could be used against political opponents. He warned that the issue goes beyond the six lawmakers involved and framed it as a defense of free speech and democratic norms.
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