A top Trump administration prosecutor is reportedly throwing in the towel on the president's retribution campaign against six Democrats who warned service members not to obey illegal orders.
The case against the six Democrats crumbles after a federal grand jury unanimously rejected the prosecution, dealing a major blow to the Justice Department's unprecedented attempt to charge lawmakers over a social media video.
The lawmakers targeted — Sens. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Mark Kelly of Arizona, and Reps. Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, Jason Crow of Colorado, Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania — all have military or intelligence backgrounds.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office has decided to drop the case entirely, NBC News reported Monday, citing anonymous sources. The grand jury's unanimous rejection sent the clear message that there was no probable cause for charges. Legal experts have blasted the effort as a politically motivated attack on free speech.
President Donald Trump had insisted the lawmakers were traitors who committed "SEDITION AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL," and suggested their actions were possibly punishable by death.
Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, representing Slotkin, wrote that prosecutors "could not articulate any theory of possible criminal liability or identify any statute they were relying on that could have been violated." He later declared the grand jury had spoken "loudly, clearly, and unanimously."
