Sen. Mark Kelly is set to get his military pay docked as punishment for participating in a video with five other congressional Democrats who urged service members to “refuse illegal orders,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Monday.
“In response to Senator Mark Kelly’s seditious statements — and his pattern of reckless misconduct — the Department of War is taking administrative action against Captain Mark E. Kelly,” Hegseth posted on X.
“The department has initiated retirement grade determination proceedings … with reduction in his retired grade resulting in a corresponding reduction in retired pay.”
Kelly (D-Ariz.) will have a month to respond to the Department of War’s actions, and Hegseth will finalize the process within 45 days, per the announcement.
Hegseth contended that Kelly’s “conduct was seditious in nature” and stressed that the senator is still subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Kelly had joined Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Reps. Jason Crow (D-Col.), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) in making the controversial video this past November.
