0:56Rep. Jason Crow addresses the media after a private meeting with members of the House of Representatives on Capitol Hill, December 16, 2025, in Washington. Heather Diehl/Getty Images
Three House Democrats have reported that they are under federal investigation due to their involvement in a November social media video advising military and intelligence personnel that they have the right to refuse unlawful orders—joining two Senate Democrats who are also facing scrutiny from the Trump administration for their appearance in the clip.
Democratic Representatives Jason Crow, Maggie Goodlander, and Chrissy Houlahan announced on Wednesday that they are being investigated by federal prosecutors following a video posted on social media where the group of Democrats—who previously served in the military or intelligence—asserted that U.S. service members have the right to decline illegal orders.
Rep. Jason Crow addresses the media after a private meeting with members of the House of Representatives on Capitol Hill, December 16, 2025, in Washington. Heather Diehl/Getty Images
Crow stated that due to the video, President Donald Trump is "employing his political allies within the Department of Justice to persist in threatening and intimidating us."
"But he's chosen the wrong individuals," Crow, a former Army Ranger, continued in a video post on X Wednesday. "We took an oath to the Constitution, a lifelong commitment when we enlisted in the military and again as members of Congress. We will not retreat. Our responsibility is to ensure that the law is upheld. We will not be threatened, we will not be intimidated, we will not be silenced."
Goodlander, an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, echoed in a social media post on Wednesday that "these threats will not deter, distract, intimidate, or silence me."
Rep. Maggie Goodlander attends the electoral college vote count during a joint session of Congress in the House chamber January 6, 2025. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images
"It is unfortunate and revealing that merely expressing a fundamental principle of American law has provoked the President of the United States to issue threats of violence against me, and it is exceedingly dangerous that the Justice Department is targeting me for performing my duties," Goodlander stated in the post.
Houlahan, an Air Force veteran, remarked in a post on X Wednesday that the group of Democrats is "being targeted not for saying something false, but for stating something that President Trump and Secretary Hegseth did not want anyone to hear."
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan speaks during a news conference at the US Capitol in Washington, March 25, 2025. Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The remarks from the trio followed Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, announcing earlier this week that she was under federal investigation for her role in the video.
Slotkin indicated that the investigation was initiated by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, who is an ally of Trump.
A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office stated on Thursday that they could neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation into the other lawmakers.
The specifics regarding the investigation are unclear.
The ongoing repercussions from the video follow Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, who also appeared in the clip, being censured by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. In a censure letter, Hegseth asserted that the video "Undermines the Chain of Command; Creates Confusion About Duty
Sourse: abcnews.go.com