1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

I am writing to demand immediate congressional action to investigate Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for his unconstitutional retaliation against Senator Mark Kelly and to pursue impeachment proceedings under Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution for high crimes and misdemeanors. In early January, Hegseth announced plans to downgrade Senator Kelly's military retirement rank and pay, calling his statements "seditious" after Kelly appeared in a video urging service members not to comply with illegal orders. This is a blatant violation of Kelly's First Amendment rights and the speech and debate clause, which protects lawmakers from executive branch punishment for official acts. At a hearing on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon challenged Justice Department attorney John Bailey's position, noting that Bailey could not cite any law, regulation, or case law supporting speech restrictions on retired military members. Leon stated, "You're asking me to do something the Supreme Court and the D.C. Circuit has never done." This is not about military discipline. This is political retaliation designed to silence a sitting United States senator. Kelly is a retired Navy captain, no longer on active duty, yet Hegseth issued a formal censure accusing him of "reckless conduct" and claiming he "brings dishonor to the officer corps." Notably, five other lawmakers appeared in the same video, but Kelly is the only one being targeted because his retired status makes him vulnerable to recall or court-martial. This attack fundamentally undermines the separation of powers. Allowing the executive branch to weaponize military proceedings against a senator for political speech sets a dangerous precedent that threatens every American's constitutional rights. As Kelly stated outside the courtroom, "There's nothing more fundamental to our democracy than the freedom of speech and the freedom to speak out about our government." I urge you to immediately open an investigation into Hegseth's conduct and pursue impeachment proceedings. This abuse of power demands accountability and removal from office.