Mark Kelly files lawsuit against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over military pay rights
Pete Hegseth is coming after what I earned through my twenty-five years of military service, in violation of my rights as an American, as a retired veteran, and as a United States Senator whose job is to hold him—and this or any administration—accountable. His unconstitutional…
— Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) January 12, 2026
WASHINGTON, DC: Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, who was recently subjected to a formal censure by Pete Hegseth, filed a lawsuit against the Defense Secretary on Monday, January 12.
The Senator announced his lawsuit on X, stating that there were only a few things as important as standing up for himself after being censured by Pete Hegseth for participating in a social media video that urged troops to refuse "illegal orders."
Mark Kelly accuses Pete Hegseth of violating fundamental rights
In a statement issued on X, Senator Mark Kelly wrote that the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was targeting what Kelly had earned through his 25 years of military service.
He stated that Hegseth was violating his rights as an American, a retired veteran, and a US senator whose job was to hold himself and the Trump administration accountable.
“His unconstitutional crusade against me sends a chilling message to every retired member of the military,” Kelly wrote.
Kelly said that the Defense secretary wanted to come after anyone who attempted to speak up against the president. He added that they could censure, threaten with demotion, and even prosecute anyone who said anything Hegseth didn’t like.
He further accused Pete Hegseth of wanting military veterans to live with a constant threat that they could be stripped of their rights and pension because he didn’t like what they had to say.
“That’s not the way things work in the United States of America, and I won’t stand for it,” Kelly wrote on X.
Mark Kelly vows fearless fight against Trump and Pete Hegseth
Later in the post, Mark Kelly wrote that he had taken an oath to protect the American Constitution when he was only 22 years old. However, he never expected to have to defend it against the secretary of defense or the president.
“But I’ve never shied away from a fight for our country, and I won’t shy away from this one,” he stated.
Kelly added that the fundamental right of freedom of speech, the separation of powers, and due process were the “bedrock principles” of American democracy.
On January 5, the Department of War issued a statement on X, in which it stated that Mark Kelly and five other members of Congress had previously released a seditious video calling for troops to disobey orders.
As a result of this, the Department of War, headed by Hegseth, had issued a formal letter of Censure for Kelly's "reckless misconduct."
"This conduct was seditious in nature and violated Articles 133 and 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, to which Captain Kelly remains subject as a retired officer receiving pay," the post read.
