Pentagon threatens to prosecute Senator Mark Kelly by recalling him to Navy service

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Pentagon on Monday threatened to recall Senator Mark Kelly, a retired Navy captain, to active duty status to prosecute him after he said he received “serious allegations of misconduct.”

The statement did not specify what kind of charges Kelly might face if he took such a step. But President Donald Trump last week accused Kelly and other Democratic lawmakers of seditious behavior for urging U.S. troops to reject any illegal orders. Trump said in his social media post that the crime is “punishable by DEATH.”

“All service members are reminded that they have a legal obligation to comply with lawful orders under the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice), and orders are presumed to be lawful. A soldier’s personal philosophy does not justify or excuse disobedience of an otherwise lawful order,” the Pentagon said.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)