US Senator Mark Kelly Sues Pentagon Chief

(Patria) - US Senator Mark Kelly sued US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Monday, stating that the Pentagon's actions to demote the Arizona Democrat from the rank of retired Navy captain violated Kelly's free speech rights because he urged soldiers to reject unlawful orders, Reuters reported.

Kelly, a retired Navy captain and former astronaut, said in his lawsuit in federal court in Washington that the Department of Defense's actions were retaliatory and violated the free speech protections of the First Amendment to the US Constitution.

The lawsuit sought a court order blocking Hegseth's review and declaring his actions unlawful.

In November, Hegseth sharply criticized Kelly for appearing in a video reminding members of the military of their duty to reject unlawful orders. In the video, Kelly stated: "Our laws are clear: you can refuse unlawful orders."

Kelly's remarks came as an increasing number of Democrats criticized Republican President Donald Trump's decisions to deploy the National Guard in US cities and authorize lethal force against ships suspected of drug smuggling from Latin America.

On January 5, Hegseth issued a letter of condemnation accusing Kelly of "conduct unbecoming an officer." The letter cited Kelly's public criticism of military leadership and the November video.

In a statement on Monday, Kelly said Hegseth's "unconstitutional crusade against me sends a chilling message to every retired member of the military: if you speak out and say something that the president or the secretary of defense doesn't like, you will be condemned, threatened with demotion or even prosecuted."

Hegseth's condemnation of Kelly followed major changes at the Pentagon during Trump's second term. Several senior military leaders were removed, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the top Navy officer, and the director of the National Security Agency.