A major shakeup is unfolding inside the FBI as agents clash over whether to launch a criminal investigation into six Democratic lawmakers accused by President Donald Trump of “seditious behavior.”
The split stems from a controversial video in which Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Reps. Jason Crow (D-CO), Christopher Deluzio (D-PA), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) urged members of the military to “refuse illegal orders.”
According to Bloomberg Law, Trump’s accusations triggered pressure from FBI headquarters to open a formal seditious conspiracy probe into the six Democrats.
Career officials inside the FBI’s Washington Field Office are resisting, arguing that there is no legal justification to open a criminal case.
The outlet reported that those same career officials believe the video is protected speech and lacks evidence of an actual conspiracy.
Trump blasted the lawmakers last month and accused them of encouraging military defiance against the commander in chief.
He called their actions “seditious behavior” and demanded that the government treat them the same way Democrats treated conservative groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.
Officials at the FBI and Justice Department have already requested interviews with the lawmakers, and War Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the Pentagon is reviewing possible misconduct from Kelly, who remains subject to military law.
Hegseth noted that Kelly is still bound to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and could face consequences if the Pentagon finds wrongdoing, as the New York Post reported.
A final decision on whether to escalate the case has not been made, leaving the FBI divided over how far to go.
The domestic terrorism unit requesting the probe is reportedly the same team that prosecuted January 6 defendants, securing seditious conspiracy convictions for 14 members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.
Those convictions carry sentences of up to 20 years in prison, raising the stakes for the six Democrats facing scrutiny.
Rep. Slotkin attempted to go on offense, posting that the FBI “appeared to open an inquiry into me” and accusing Trump of “weaponizing the federal government.”
Slotkin insisted she would not be silenced, saying she refuses to let the FBI inquiry “stop me from speaking up for my country and our Constitution.”
Kelly, who told service members they are not required to follow “illegal orders,” is now facing a Pentagon misconduct review that could put him in serious legal trouble.
FBI Director Kash Patel told journalist Catherine Herridge that the decision will be made by “career agents and analysts” and will depend entirely on whether there is a “lawful predicate” to proceed.
If the FBI opens a formal case, six Democratic lawmakers could face the same criminal charges Democrats once championed against Trump supporters.
