Jeanine Pirro Urges Indictment of Six Democratic Lawmakers Over Controversial Video

Jeanine Pirro, a prominent ally of Trump and the U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., has reportedly instructed prosecutors to pursue an indictment against six Democratic lawmakers linked to a video that reminded military personnel of their rights to refuse unlawful orders.

This directive, as detailed in reports, unfolded amidst a convoluted investigation that ultimately faltered. By mid-January, prosecutors had communicated with the lawmakers' attorneys, characterizing the inquiry as nascent and failing to specify any legal violations attributed to the representatives.

Despite the high-profile nature of the case, a grand jury declined to issue an indictment last week, a rare outcome in such significant investigations.

The Justice Department has been approached for comments, but Pirro’s office has refrained from providing any statements.

Experts have expressed confusion over the irregularities in the process, noting that investigations involving sitting Congress members typically require extensive evidence collection and analysis before any charges are filed.

“That is irregular,” remarked Kristy Parker, a former federal prosecutor now with Protect Democracy, in an interview. “When someone is under criminal investigation, it’s unusual to mislead their attorney about potential charges so close to an indictment. This is not standard practice for federal prosecutors.”

Adding to the peculiarities, Pirro’s office reportedly enlisted two attorneys with limited prosecutorial experience at the DOJ to assist in the case.

Steven Vandervelden and Carlton Davis were involved in the indictment process, according to reports. Vandervelden lacks prior experience with the DOJ but worked alongside Pirro as a local prosecutor in Westchester County, New York, during her tenure as district attorney.

Interestingly, he maintained an active photography business while the case was unfolding.

The lawmakers implicated have vocally criticized the investigation, asserting it was a politically motivated attempt to silence dissent against the administration.

“It wasn’t enough for Pete Hegseth to censure me and threaten to demote me; now it appears they tried to have me charged with a crime — all because of something I said that they didn’t like,” stated Senator Mark Kelly last week. “That’s not how things operate in America.”

The Trump administration has faced numerous setbacks in legal matters and turmoil among top federal prosecutors. Reports indicate that since Trump assumed office, over 5,000 DOJ officials have either resigned, accepted buyouts, or been dismissed.

Pirro’s office alone reportedly lost at least 90 prosecutors at one point, as noted by various sources.

In recent weeks, a wave of prosecutors departed from a U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota, partly due to frustrations over the administration's decision against initiating a civil rights investigation into an ICE agent involved in the fatal shooting of Minneapolis protester Renee Good.

Last year, in a separate incident involving a protester who threw a sandwich at a federal officer, Pirro’s office failed to secure a grand jury indictment and could not achieve a conviction on misdemeanor assault charges.