On Monday, May 5, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegemon announced administrative action regarding Senator Mark Kelly's (D-Ariz.) participation in a video he deemed "reckless and treasonous."

In November, Senator Kelly appeared in a video with five other Democratic senators urging U.S. military soldiers to disobey what they called President Donald Trump's "unlawful orders." The video sparked fierce backlash from conservatives, many of whom accused the senators of inciting insubordination within the military.

"The Department of the Army is taking administrative action against Navy Captain Mark E. Kelly (Ret.)," Hegemon stated. "The Department of the Army has initiated a review of his retired rank under Title 10, Section 1370(f) of the U.S. Code, and as a result, his retired pay will be reduced accordingly."

He continued, "To ensure this action, the Secretary of Defense has issued a formal reprimand detailing the full scope of Colonel (now Senator) Kelly's reckless misconduct. This reprimand is a required procedural step and will be placed in Senator Kelly's official and permanent military personnel record."

Hegemon added, "Colonel Kelly has been notified of this action and has 30 days to submit a response. The retirement grade determination process, which will be overseen by Secretary Hegemon, is expected to be completed within 45 days."

Hegemon also stated that Kelly's actions violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

"These actions are based on Colonel Kelly's public statements from June to December 2025, where he labeled lawful military operations as unlawful and incited soldiers to disobey lawful orders," he explained. "These actions are seditious in nature and violate Articles 133 and 134 of the UCMJ, which still apply to Colonel Kelly as a retired officer receiving pay."

Secretary Hegemon noted that Senator Kelly "is still receiving military retirement pay as a retired Navy Captain." He stated, "Senator Kelly's status as a sitting U.S. Senator does not exempt him from accountability, and further violations could result in more severe actions."

By Hong Seong-gu, Chief Reporter, NNP USA / Special to NNP info@newsandpost.com