Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill says probe of Arizona senator is ‘abuse of power’

Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill said U.S. Sen Mark Kelly, a New Jersey native under investigation by the Trump administration, has “served our country with distinction.” (Photo by Dana DiFilippo/New Jersey Monitor)

Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill is condemning the Trump administration for launching an investigation into an Arizona senator accused of misconduct by the Pentagon.

U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday said U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona) brought “discredit upon the armed forces” for joining other Democrats last week in a video telling military members they have the right to refuse to follow illegal orders. Kelly is a retired Navy captain.

Sherrill, a Democrat and former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, in a statement called the Trump administration’s targeting of Kelly “another abuse of power by the most incompetent and unfit Secretary of Defense in our nation’s history.”

“Sen. Mark Kelly — a New Jersey native and fellow U.S. Navy veteran — has served our country with distinction, both in combat and space missions. Now, Hegseth wants to prosecute him for stating unequivocally that service members must follow the law and the Constitution — a reminder that Hegseth himself should heed,” she said.

Sherrill was elected governor earlier this month, and takes office on Jan. 20.

The six Democrats who appeared in last week’s video have been battling Trump since it dropped, with Trump accusing them of “seditious behavior at the highest level.” The Pentagon on Monday said potential repercussions for Kelly include recalling him to active duty for court-martial proceedings.

Kelly said on social media that he would not be intimidated out of “holding this administration accountable.”

“I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution,” he said.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said Kelly and the other Democrats in the video were encouraging “disorder and chaos within the ranks.”

“Not a single one of them … can point to a single illegal order that this administration has given down because it does not exist,” Leavitt said. “They knew what they were doing in this video and Sen. Mark Kelly and all of them should be held accountable for that.”