Democrats refuse to sit for DOJ interviews over ‘illegal orders’ video

By Clare Foran, Rashard Rose, Camila DeChalus, CNN

(CNN) — Four Democratic lawmakers are refusing to sit for interviews with the Justice Department related to their involvement in a video urging service members to disobey illegal orders.

The move is a show of defiance by the group of congressional Democrats: Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin and Reps. Chrissy Houlahan and Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire. It comes as the Trump administration has painted the video as a dangerous undermining of the president’s authority as commander in chief, while Democrats have argued they were simply restating the law and will not bow to pressure from the administration.

Slotkin said in a video posted to X Thursday that she sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro informing them of her decision.

“I’m not going to legitimize their actions,” Slotkin said. “The intimidation is the point, and I’m not going to go along with that.”

The senator also said that she urged them “to retain their records on this case in case I decide to sue for infringement of my constitutional rights.”

In a separate video posted to X, Houlahan said of the DOJ request, “I will not be doing that.”

“What is happening now crosses a line when the power of the federal government is turned toward intimidating people, including veterans who have sworn to defend the Constitution and duly elected representatives of the people, for speaking the truth, that is not justice,” Houlahan said.

“Free speech is not a favor that the government can revoke. It is a right and I will not surrender it, for myself or for anyone else,” Houlahan continued.

Deluzio, meanwhile, told CNN in a statement Friday he also doesn’t intend to sit for an interview.

“The President of the United States has already called for my arrest and hanging, and has sent the Justice Department after me and other members of Congress for stating the law. I will not be intimidated by any harassment campaign,” Deluzio said. “I do not intend to sit down for a voluntary interview with DOJ or FBI officials sent to interfere with the important work I’m doing for my constituents. This should end. And I will fight hard against any further unlawful escalation.”

A source familiar with the matter confirmed that Goodlander notified DOJ that she also won’t be sitting down for an interview.

In a statement, Goodlander said, “The Justice Department is targeting us for doing our jobs, and the aim here is clear: to intimidate, coerce, and silence us. It will not work. I will not bend the knee in the face of lawless threats and rank weaponization — I will keep doing my job and upholding my oath to our Constitution.”

CNN has reached out to the Justice Department for comment. The DC US Attorney’s office declined to comment.

Trump has accused the lawmakers who participated in the original video of “seditious behavior” and suggested they should be put to death, drawing a swift rebuke from Democrats on Capitol Hill, who condemned the president’s comments as an attempt to incite violence.

In the original video, a group of Democratic lawmakers, including Slotkin, Goodlander, Deluzio and Houlahan — along with Sen. Mark Kelly and Rep. Jason Crow – said that “threats to our Constitution” are coming “from right here at home,” and repeatedly urged the military and intelligence community to “refuse illegal orders.”

CNN has reached out to Kelly and Crow’s offices on whether they plan to cooperate with the Justice Department’s request.

Kelly, who has been publicly attacked by Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for his role in the video, is suing after a Pentagon move to cut his retirement pay and reduce his rank for participating in it.

Earlier this week a federal judge appeared likely to side with Kelly in the case, which alleges the Pentagon is violating his First Amendment rights through its effort to punish him.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

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CNN’s Aleena Fayaz contributed to this report.