FBI Seeks 'Seditious Conspiracy' Probe of Democratic Lawmakers

[LetMyPeopleVote]

Given that Hegseth is on record stating that the members of the military cannot follow illegal orders, this will be an amusing investigation

Scoop: FBI aims to escalate its inquiry into 6 Democrats who made video for troops by pressing domestic terrorism squad to launch a formal seditious conspiracy investigation. Washington Field Office leaders are pushing back b/c they don't see a crime. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

— Ben Penn (@benjaminpenn.bsky.social) 2025-12-04T00:15:19.556Z

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/fbi-seeks-seditious-conspiracy-probe-of-democratic-lawmakers

FBI headquarters is pressuring the bureau’s domestic terrorism agents to open a seditious conspiracy investigation into six Democratic lawmakers who advised military service members to defy unlawful orders, according to three people familiar with the situation.

Such an investigation, which has not yet been opened, would mark a more serious step than the FBI’s voluntary inquiry that several of the Democrats derided last week and would escalate the administration’s use of law enforcement to probe the president’s critics.

Career leaders at the bureau’s Washington Field Office have thus far pushed back on the request for a formal investigation, which would follow President Donald Trump’s call for a trial into the Democrats’ “seditious behavior,” the people familiar said. The Washington office supervisors cited a lack of legal and factual basis to initiate a criminal case against the senators and House members who posted a video Nov. 18 reminding service members and the intelligence community of their rights to “refuse illegal orders.”,,,,,,

The FBI typically won’t run investigations out of headquarters, relying on field offices to do so. The prior head of the Washington office, Steven Jensen, was fired in August, which he and two other former FBI officials alleged in a lawsuit was in retaliation for their insufficient loyalty to Trump. The outcome of this request from headquarters will serve as a key test in how Jensen’s replacement, Darren Cox, withstands pressure to satisfy Trump’s commands.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. America 2025: The Country of the Absurd.

Last edited Wed Dec 3, 2025, 08:25 PM - Edit history (1)

[Nictuku]

3. I know!!

The other night I watched Rachel and Lawrence.

Afterwards I found myself with my hands to my head internally crying: "THIS IS NOT RIGHT" and "THIS IS SO WRONG"

I feel like I'm in some kind of alternative reality. I want to go back.

[Nictuku]

2. This will backfire on them

It will only bring more attention to the video in question, which is a good thing.

Stating what the law is can NOT qualify for seditious conspiracy. (unless the judge is Aileen Cannon)

[Crunchy Frog]

4. We're just about at banana republic level.

[Boo1]

5. Lol

Keep drawing attention to a video telling people they dont have to follow illegal orders, whoch your DoD is caught up in a huge illegal orders scandal.

Smart.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

6. MaddowBlog-FBI officials at odds over 'seditious conspiracy' probe of Democratic veterans

Trump and his team aren’t done going after Democratic lawmakers who told troops to refuse illegal orders.

FBI officials at odds over ‘seditious conspiracy’ probe of Democratic veterans - MS NOW

apple.news/AF30rB9WcRQu...

— (@oc88.bsky.social) 2025-12-04T20:37:15.628Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/fbi-officials-at-odds-over-seditious-conspiracy-probe-of-democratic-veterans

A couple of weeks ago, after several Democratic military veterans urged service members to reject illegal orders, the White House began a furious pushback campaign that was extreme, even by contemporary standards. Donald Trump helped lead the charge, insisting that the Democratic lawmakers, who’d done nothing wrong, had engaged in “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”.....

Bloomberg Law, citing three sources familiar with the situation, reported that FBI leaders are “pressuring the bureau’s domestic terrorism agents to open a seditious conspiracy investigation” into the Democrats who urged service members to follow the law. Those efforts, however, are running into an important snag. From the report:

Career leaders at the bureau’s Washington Field Office have thus far pushed back on the request for a formal investigation, which would follow President Donald Trump’s call for a trial into the Democrats’ ‘seditious behavior,’ the people familiar said. The Washington office supervisors cited a lack of legal and factual basis to initiate a criminal case against the senators and House members who posted a video Nov. 18 reminding service members and the intelligence community of their rights to ‘refuse illegal orders.’

According to the Bloomberg report, which has not been independently verified by MS NOW, FBI leaders want an investigation, while the bureau’s domestic terrorism agents have pointed to the inconvenient reality that there’s no reason to launch such an investigation.

The same report added, “FBI headquarters requested that the investigation arise under the rarely invoked seditious conspiracy statute that DOJ used to convict a small number of Oath Keepers and Proud Boys leaders for organizing the Jan. 6 insurrection at the US Capitol.” (The FBI didn’t respond to Bloomberg’s request for comment.)

If true, the report suggests FBI leaders are pushing a truly bonkers approach, equating lawmakers’ expression of support for the rule of law with the actions of insurrectionists who attacked their own country’s democracy.