司法部代表战争部长赫格塞斯提起上诉，此前一名法官阻止五角大楼惩罚凯利的军事级别
作者：迈克尔·辛克维奇
福克斯新闻
发布时间：2026年2月25日 美国东部时间上午12:53
战争部长皮特·赫格塞斯周二重新点燃了与亚利桑那州民主党参议员马克·凯利的高调冲突，对联邦法院一项阻止五角大楼因凯利议员敦促美军士兵违抗”非法命令”而惩罚他的裁决提出上诉。
美国司法部（DOJ）代表赫格塞斯、战争部、美国海军以及海军部长约翰·费伦，向哥伦比亚特区美国上诉法院提起了上诉。
这一诉讼是在本月早些时候美国地区法官理查德·利昂作出裁决之后提出的。利昂裁定，五角大楼在1月5日正式谴责凯利时，可能侵犯了凯利的第一修正案权利，以及”数百万军事退休人员”的权利。
利昂阻止了五角大楼降低凯利的退役上尉军衔或削减其军事退休工资，这促使赫格塞斯迅速誓言提出上诉。
[凯利回击赫格塞斯关于谴责的言论，称永不退缩]
亚利桑那州民主党参议员马克·凯利表示，在一名法官裁定五角大楼可能侵犯其第一修正案权利后，此次上诉是企图压制异议。(Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
凯利在X平台转发有关上诉的报道时对此最新举动作出回应。
“这些人不知道适可而止，”他写道，”一名联邦法官告诉唐纳德·特朗普和皮特·赫格塞斯，他们侵犯了我的宪法权利，压制了数百万退休老兵的言论自由。”
“提起上诉的唯一原因是：继续践踏退休老兵的言论自由权利，压制异议，”凯利继续说道，”我参军是为了捍卫美国人的宪法权利，无论他们想把这场斗争推向何方，我都不会退缩。”
[马克·凯利被追问如果仍穿军装是否会拒绝命令]
赫格塞斯在地区法院裁决后曾在X平台回击：”叛乱就是叛乱，’上尉’。”
去年11月，一群拥有军事和情报背景的民主党议员因发布一段敦促士兵”拒绝非法命令”的90秒视频而陷入困境。
这段视频最初由密歇根州民主党参议员埃莉萨·斯洛特金发布，其中还包括科罗拉多州众议员杰森·克劳、宾夕法尼亚州克里斯·德卢齐奥、新罕布什尔州玛吉·古德兰和宾夕法尼亚州克里斯蒂·霍拉汉等退伍军人议员。
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赫格塞斯此前曾表示，对凯利的行为展开调查，因为他是唯一正式从军队退役且受五角大楼管辖的国会议员。
华盛顿特区的一个大陪审团拒绝了司法部对该团体的起诉，进一步升级了政府与其批评者之间的紧张关系。
在他的裁决中，利昂写道，凯利在言论自由主张的是非曲直方面”可能会成功”，并发现他证明了不可弥补的损害。
总统唐纳德·特朗普此前曾指责该团体议员”犯有最高级别的叛乱罪”。
福克斯新闻数字版已联系战争部和司法部置评。凯利参议员办公室未立即回应置评请求。
福克斯新闻数字版的亚历山德拉·科赫对本报道有贡献。
War Secretary Pete Hegseth appeals court ruling blocking Sen. Kelly punishment | Fox News
Justice Department files appeal on behalf of War Secretary Hegseth after judge blocked Pentagon from demoting Kelly’s military rank
By Michael Sinkewicz
Fox News
Published February 25, 2026 12:53am EST
War Secretary Pete Hegseth moved to reignite his high-profile clash with Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., on Tuesday, appealing a federal court ruling that blocked the Pentagon from punishing the Democratic lawmaker over a video urging U.S. service members to defy “illegal orders.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed the appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on behalf of Hegseth, the Department of War, the U.S. Navy and Navy Secretary John Phelan.
The filing follows a ruling earlier this month by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, who determined the Pentagon likely violated Kelly’s First Amendment rights, and those of “millions of military retirees,” when it formally censured him on Jan. 5.
Leon blocked the Pentagon from demoting Kelly’s retired rank of captain or reducing his military retirement pay, prompting Hegseth to swiftly vow an appeal.
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., says the appeal is an attempt to silence dissent after a judge ruled the Pentagon likely violated his First Amendment rights.(Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Kelly reacted to the latest move while reposting coverage of the appeal on X.
“These guys don’t know when to quit,” he wrote. “A federal judge told Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth that they violated my constitutional rights and chilled the free speech of millions of retired veterans.”
“There is only one reason to appeal that ruling: to keep trampling on the free speech rights of retired veterans and silence dissent,” Kelly continued. “I went to war to defend Americans’ constitutional rights and I won’t back down from this fight, no matter how far they want to take it.”
[KELLY FIRES BACK AT HEGSETH OVER CENSURE, SAYS HE’S NEVER BACKING DOWN]
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., speaks to members of the media outside federal court in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026.(Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Hegseth previously fired back on X following the district court ruling, writing: “Sedition is sedition, ‘Captain.’”
In November, a group of Democratic lawmakers with military and intelligence backgrounds found themselves in hot water after posting a 90-second video urging service members to “refuse illegal orders.”
The video, which was first posted by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., also included military veteran Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania.
[MARK KELLY PRESSED ON WHETHER HE WOULD REFUSE ORDERS IF HE WAS STILL IN UNIFORM]
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has appealed a federal court ruling that blocked efforts to discipline Sen. Mark Kelly over remarks advising service members to refuse “illegal orders.”(Omar Havana/Getty Images)
Hegseth previously said an investigation was launched into Kelly’s actions because he was the only lawmaker formally retired from the military and under the Pentagon’s jurisdiction.
A grand jury in Washington, D.C., rejected a DOJ effort to indict the group, further escalating tensions between the administration and its critics.
In his ruling, Leon wrote that Kelly is “likely to succeed” on the merits of his free speech claim and found he demonstrated irreparable harm.
President Donald Trump previously accused the group of lawmakers of “sedition at the highest level.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of War and Department of Justice for comment. Sen. Kelly’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
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