🔗 Share this article Democrat Lawmakers Respond on Reported FBI Probe Following Military Command Statements Democratic lawmakers who urged US troops to ignore illegal commands are now reacting to what they call a government inquiry into their actions. Alert of Investigation Democratic Legislator Elissa Slotkin of the state of Michigan stated that the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Monday informed the six lawmakers who were featured in recent recording about the investigation. "Any attempt at intimidation or harassment will ever stop us from performing our duties and upholding our Constitution," several Congressional representatives stated. Presidential Response Their statement to troops prompted President Trump to allege the Democratic lawmakers of "treasonous conduct, carrying capital punishment" and triggered a Pentagon review of "serious allegations of improper behavior" against Democrat Legislator Mark Kelly of the state of Arizona, who likewise appeared in the recording. The Department of Justice declined to comment on the reported probe. Video Details The video by Democratic officials, all of whom have worked in the armed forces or national security sector, was distributed last week by Slotkin and includes Senator Kelly and Congress members Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander, Chrissy Houlahan and Jason Crow. The message came amid increasing friction between the Trump administration and the Venezuelan government, as well as Democrat-led municipalities opposing Trump's sending of National Guard troops to the area. FBI Involvement Slotkin stated on Tuesday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation's counterterrorism unit delivered a notification to the Congress members to notify them of an reported inquiry into the elected officials. "His reaction and the deployment of the FBI against us is exactly why we made the video," she said at an gathering in her home state. "He thinks in using the national government against his perceived opponents, and he's not hesitant to utilize the resources of the administration against individuals he disagrees with," she said, characterizing Trump's behavior as "a scare tactic." Congressional Reaction Likewise, Congress members Deluzio, Goodlander, Houlahan and Crow said that the President is employing the Federal Bureau as "instrument to pressure and harass" legislators, verifying that the Federal Bureau reached out to the Congressional security officials to arrange meetings. "We swore an oath to support and defend the founding document of the United States of America. That oath is permanent, and we plan to honor it. We will not be bullied. We refuse to give up the ship," they stated. Presidential Reaction The video - in which Kelly accused the government of "setting our uniformed military and security professionals against the American people" - provoked Trump's anger and he suggested on social media that they be detained, locked up and hanged. His comments drew cross-party censure and the chief executive eventually walked back his remarks in a television appearance, explaining that he was "not threatening capital punishment." Defense Department Response On the start of the week, the Defense Department accused the Arizona legislator, a previous captain in the Navy and space explorer, of violating armed forces regulations. The defence department said it would conduct a review to determine whether the state senator should be recalled to active duty to face military judicial process. Even though Kelly left from the armed forces, he is nevertheless bound by the Uniform Code of Military Justice - a national legislation enacted by Congress in 1951 that holds personnel of the armed forces to a unique system of regulations. Defense Secretary Comment Military leader Pete Hegseth accused Kelly of violating the UCMJ and of employing his position and military background as a way to provide "the impression of legitimacy to his statements" in the video. He continued that Kelly's behavior "brings discredit upon the armed forces and will be handled properly." Senator Kelly's But the Arizona senator likewise responded, saying that he has "devoted significant service to this nation to be silenced by intimidators who care more about their own authority than protecting the Constitution." Accounts suggested on Tuesday that the Federal Bureau and Department of Justice contacted Congressional security to arrange interviews with the half-dozen members of Congress. The FBI declined to provide statement on Tuesday when approached by media outlets.