Three more Democratic members of the US House of Representatives have confirmed they are under investigation by the Trump administration's Department of Justice for participating in a video about military service. This development significantly widens the circle of sitting legislators being targeted for their political speech.
Lawmakers Decry Political Targeting
On Wednesday, Representatives Jason Crow of Colorado, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania disclosed that the US attorney's office for the District of Columbia, led by Jeanine Pirro, had requested interviews. The probe centres on a 90-second video from November in which they and other colleagues stated a fundamental principle: that troops are not obligated to comply with illegal orders.
"Donald Trump called for my arrest, prosecution, and execution – all because I said something he didn’t like," said Crow in a forceful statement. He accused the President of pressuring political appointees to harass him for speaking out. Goodlander, in a video posted on X, framed the government's response as "sad, telling and downright dangerous," highlighting that she once served in the Department of Justice and understands its power.
Houlahan suggested the investigation's true aim was to stifle dissent. "The six of us are being targeted not because we said something untrue, but because we said something President Trump and Secretary Hegseth didn’t want anyone to hear," she told NBC News.
Expanding Circle of Investigation
The announcements bring the total number of lawmakers who have publicly confirmed contact from federal prosecutors to five. This follows Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin's revelation on Tuesday that she was also under investigation. Furthermore, in January, Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth formally censured Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, a retired navy captain, launching proceedings that could reduce his rank and cut his pension.
The video in question featured six Democratic lawmakers, all of whom have prior service in the military, CIA, or naval intelligence. They reminded service members of their duty under the Uniform Code of Military Justice to disobey unlawful commands—a standard tenet of military training. President Trump initially labelled the message "seditious" and mentioned capital punishment, though he later walked back the death penalty reference.
Every lawmaker in the video, which also included Pennsylvania Representative Chris Deluzio, has now been contacted by either the FBI or federal prosecutors. Deluzio's spokesperson, Zoe Bluffstone, called it "a harassment campaign against their political rivals."
Condemnation as Authoritarian Overreach
This federal targeting represents an extraordinary use of prosecutorial power against sitting legislators for protected political speech. Government watchdog groups have swiftly condemned the move.
David Janovsky, acting director of the constitution project at the Project on Government Oversight, described the actions as an assault on constitutional principles. "A sitting president attempting to prosecute his political opponents just for saying something he disagrees with is a hallmark of authoritarianism," he stated.
This is the second wave of federal interest in the lawmakers. In November, FBI agents approached congressional security officials seeking interviews, prompting four House members to issue a joint statement accusing Trump of weaponising the bureau.
In her statement on Tuesday, Senator Slotkin accused the President of following a familiar pattern. "To be clear, this is the president’s playbook," she said. "Truth doesn’t matter. Facts don’t matter, and anyone who disagrees with him becomes an enemy."
