Overview
- Accounts in The New York Times and The New Republic say D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro abruptly ordered prosecutors to seek indictments after previously signaling the inquiry was only at a preliminary stage.
- Defense lawyers, including Preet Bharara, report prosecutors could not identify any statute or articulate a theory of criminal liability when asked before the grand-jury presentation.
- A Washington, D.C., grand jury unanimously declined on Feb. 10 to indict Sens. Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin and four House members over a video reminding service members they need not follow blatantly illegal orders.
- The Times-linked reporting says the office later set the matter aside for now, and separate coverage details Pirro bringing in outsiders with little DOJ experience, including a former dance photographer, to work the case.
- A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction blocking Pentagon efforts to reduce Kelly’s rank and pay, as former prosecutors criticized the episode as irregular and damaging to Justice Department credibility.