Donald Trump’s attempt to criminally charge six Democratic lawmakers has collapsed, with U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro backing away after a federal grand jury unanimously rejected the case.
According to NBC News, Pirro’s office has decided to drop the prosecution entirely after the grand jury refused to move forward, delivering a blunt rebuke to what critics called a politically charged effort. The panel’s unanimous rejection signaled there was no probable cause to bring charges.
The targets of the failed prosecution were Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, along with Reps. Maggie Goodlander, Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, and Chrissy Houlahan. All six have military or intelligence backgrounds.
Their supposed offense: appearing in a social media video warning service members not to follow illegal orders.
President Donald Trump had publicly fumed over the video, branding the lawmakers traitors and accusing them of committing “SEDITION AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.” He even floated the idea that their actions could be punishable by death.
But when prosecutors tried to translate that rhetoric into criminal charges, they hit a wall.
Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who represents Slotkin, said prosecutors “could not articulate any theory of possible criminal liability or identify any statute they were relying on that could have been violated.” After the grand jury’s decision, Bharara said the panel had spoken “loudly, clearly, and unanimously.”
Legal experts had already criticized the prosecution as an extraordinary and politically motivated attempt to criminalize speech by elected officials. The grand jury’s refusal to indict effectively shut the door on the effort.
Pirro, who was hand-picked by Trump, now appears to be stepping back from the case altogether. The decision marks a significant setback for the administration’s attempt to pursue charges against sitting members of Congress over their public remarks.
What began as a fiery accusation of “sedition” has ended not with indictments, but with a unanimous rejection — and a quiet retreat.
