A disgraced former Republican congressman made a stunning claim about an investigation into a Senate Democrat on Monday.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), now a media personality for One America News, posted on X that the Department of Defense's investigation into Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) is "escalating." The Pentagon is investigating Kelly for potentially breaking the law when he appeared in a video alongside several other Democratic lawmakers to tell military troops that they can disobey illegal orders.
"BREAKING NEWS: The Department of War investigation of Senator Mark Kelly is 'escalating' to a 'full command' investigation per a DOW official," Gaetz posted.
A "full-command" investigation refers to a formal fact-finding mission used to determine the size and scope of a crime that was committed, according to the Maine State Legislature.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has described Kelly's comments in the video as violations of military justice statutes, according to a Nov. 25 memo.
Gaetz represented Florida's 1st Congressional District from 2017 to 2024. During that time, he was accused of participating in a child sex trafficking operation and statutory rape. The Department of Justice declined to pursue charges against Gaetz.
President Donald Trump nominated Gaetz to serve as his attorney general before withdrawing him because of sustained pushback.