STATEMENT: Pentagon Action Against Kelly Is Political Retribution

Washington, D.C. — Today, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that he has issued a formal censure against Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and initiated proceedings that could strip Kelly of his retired military rank and cut his pension. In response, Frank Kendall, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and former secretary of the Air Force, issued the following statement:

This is an egregious act of political retribution against a senator, astronaut, and war hero who was simply informing service members about their duty to refuse to follow unlawful orders, as required by law. It sends a chilling and intimidating message to all serving military personnel about their obligation to oppose unlawful orders and to all retired personnel about their right under the First Amendment to challenge the illegal actions of this administration. This is a shameful abuse of the secretary of defense’s authority and yet another step in the politicization of our military.

For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].