Courts

Appeals Court Appears Likely to Reject Hegseth’s Claim Against Sen. Kelly

A lower court has blocked War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to lower the veteran senator’s retirement pay and military rank.
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Appeals Court Appears Likely to Reject Hegseth’s Claim Against Sen. Kelly
Sen. Mark Kelly, flanked by retired veterans, speaks outside E. Prettyman Barrett Courthouse in Washington on May 7, 2026. Stacy Robinson/The Epoch Times
Stacy Robinson
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WASHINGTON—A federal appeals court on May 7 seemed to side with Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) in his First Amendment suit against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Kelly, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, appeared in a video last November with other Democratic lawmakers urging soldiers to disobey any “unlawful” orders they received. All of those members of Congress are military or intelligence community veterans.

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Stacy Robinson
Stacy Robinson
Author
Stacy Robinson is a politics reporter for the Epoch Times, occasionally covering cultural and human interest stories. Based out of Washington, D.C. he can be reached at [email protected]