Democratic senator says DOJ wants a formal interview with her in probe of lawmakers’ controversial ‘illegal orders’ video
By Camila DeChalus, CNN
(CNN) — Michigan Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin said Wednesday that US Attorney Jeanine Pirro wants a formal interview with her following her involvement in a controversial video urging service members and intelligence officials to disobey illegal orders.
“To be clear, this is the president’s playbook. Truth doesn’t matter. Facts don’t matter, and anyone who disagrees with him becomes an enemy, and he then weaponizes The federal government against them,” Slotkin said in a video, detailing the investigation she said is underway against her.
It was not immediate clear what crime the Justice Department may be investigating related to Slotkin, though President Donald Trump has suggested the six Democratic lawmakers engaged in “seditious behavior.” A spokesperson for the senator said she’s “ready for anything.”
CNN has reached out to the Justice Department for comment.
The reported contact from DOJ signals that the department has not let up on its investigation into the “illegal orders” video after the FBI first contacted with the Senate and House sergeant-at-arms in November seeking to schedule interviews with the six Democratic lawmakers in the video. The Trump administration has painted the video as a dangerous undermining of the president’s authority as commander in chief, while the Democrats have argued they were simply restating the law.
The New York Times first reported the senator saying this week she was under investigation.
Reached by CNN, a spokesperson for Chris Deluzio did not comment on whether the Pennsylvania congressman had also been contacted by the DOJ but said he would not be intimidated. “It’s obvious that this Administration is engaged in a harassment campaign against their political rivals, even targeting Members of Congress for stating the law,” the spokesperson said.
CNN has also reached out to the offices of Reps. Chrissy Houlahan, Jason Crow and Maggie Goodlander, as well as Sen. Mark Kelly, who is in a separate legal fight to block Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth from cutting his retirement pay an reducing his rank related to the video.
Slotkin said Wednesday that since the release of the video, she has experienced bomb threats at her home, her parents have been swatted in the middle of the night and her siblings have had to get police presence in her homes.
“Right now, speaking out against the abuse of power is the most patriotic thing we can do,” she said.
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CNN’s Aleena Fayaz contributed to this report.
