Sen. Kelly sues DOD Sec. Hegseth, says he was punished for ‘disfavored political speech’

Sen. Mark Kelly on Monday sued the Pentagon and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, alleging the Trump administration’s efforts to punish the Democratic senator for his participation in a video to U.S. troops violate the Constitution.

The federal civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Washington was filed one week after Hegseth said his department would cut Kelly’s military retirement pay in response to the video.

The government’s actions “trample on protections the Constitution singles out as essential to legislative independence,” Kelly’s lawyers wrote in the lawsuit, which was also filed against the U.S. Navy Department and its secretary, John Phelan.

“It appears that never in our nation’s history has the Executive Branch imposed military sanctions on a Member of Congress for engaging in disfavored political speech,” the lawyers wrote.

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