Watchdog files bar complaint against Jeanine Pirro over bid to indict Democratic lawmakers for military video

On August 25, 2026, the Legal Accountability Center filed bar complaints against U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and two deputies, alleging they abused their power by attempting to indict six Democratic lawmakers. The lawmakers, including Senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin, appeared in a video advising troops to reject illegal orders. A grand jury refused to indict them in February 2026, despite President Trump labeling their actions seditious. Pirro's office dismissed the complaints as frivolous.

Bar complaints against Jeanine Pirro

• ▪The Legal Accountability Center filed ethical complaints against Jeanine Pirro and Steven Vandervelden in New York, and against Carlton Davis in Virginia.
• ▪The Legal Accountability Center filed bar complaints on August 25, 2026, accusing U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and two subordinates of violating ethical duties.
• ▪Tim Lauer, a spokesperson for Jeanine Pirro, dismissed the Legal Accountability Center's bar complaints as a frivolous attempt to weaponize the disciplinary process.

Democratic lawmakers military video case

• ▪Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attempted to censure Senator Mark Kelly for the video, prompting a lawsuit where a federal district court ruled in Kelly's favor.
• ▪Federal prosecutors planned to charge the six Democratic lawmakers under a law prohibiting interference with the loyalty, morale, or discipline of the U.S. Armed Forces.
• ▪U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro sought federal charges against six Democratic lawmakers for appearing in a video advising military members they can refuse illegal orders.

Grand jury refusal to indict

• ▪In February 2026, a Washington grand jury refused to indict Senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin and four House Democrats over the military video.
• ▪President Donald Trump publicly accused the six Democratic lawmakers of sedition and stated on social media that their actions were punishable by death.

Prosecutorial abuse allegations

• ▪The Legal Accountability Center's complaints allege Jeanine Pirro abused her prosecutorial power to seek meritless indictments against President Donald Trump's perceived political enemies.
• ▪Representative Jason Crow, one of the targeted lawmakers, accused Jeanine Pirro of weaponizing the Justice Department to silence dissent and carry out lawless political demands.

Trump administration Justice Department pattern

• ▪The Legal Accountability Center previously filed ethical complaints against Ed Martin Jr., Jeanine Pirro's predecessor as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
• ▪Critics have accused Jeanine Pirro of pursuing politically motivated cases, including a recently abandoned felony charge against a former Olympian accused of defacing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

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