Dozens of former military leaders defend Mark Kelly in Pentagon fight [View all]
Source: USA Today
Jan. 20, 2026, 12:15 p.m. ET
Dozens of former military leaders are supporting Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly’s First Amendment lawsuit against the Pentagon, saying Secretary Pete Hegseth’s threats against the retired Navy captain could serve to undermine veterans’ protected speech.
The group includes former Secretary of the Army Louis E. Caldera, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton in 1998, and former Secretary of the Navy Sean C. O’Keefe, who served in the position during President George H.W. Bush’s administration.
“They are deeply concerned by actions of the U.S. government that chill honest and thoughtful public participation of those who served their nation in uniform,” the group said in a Jan. 20 friend-of-the-court brief filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The 41-person group, composed of dozens of retired senior military officers including four-star generals and admirals, was aware of the potential risks involved with publicly speaking out against President Donald Trump's administration but believed that doing so was their civic duty, according to the legal filing.
Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/01/20/military-leaders-mark-kelly-pentagon/88264248007/
Link to FILING (PDF) - https://protectdemocracy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026.01.20.Kelly-v-Hegseth-Amicus.pdf
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