The U.S. federal appeals court said Thursday it may not uphold Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's punishment of Arizona Democratic Senator and retired Navy captain Mark Kelly. Kelly, along with several other Democratic members of Congress with military or intelligence backgrounds, had previously released a video urging active-duty service members not to follow illegal orders. In response, Trump accused Kelly of inciting rebellion and called for him to be hanged. Hegseth echoed this accusation, condemned Kelly, and initiated a disciplinary process that could result in the reduction of Kelly’s rank and retirement benefits. Kelly has sued Hegseth, arguing that the disciplinary proceedings infringe upon his freedom of speech. If the appeals court upholds the lower court's ruling from February this year, Hegseth will remain temporarily barred from punishing Kelly over the video. The lower court had previously ruled that the Trump administration's attempt to penalize Kelly violated his First Amendment rights and threatened the constitutional rights of millions of veterans.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1864597979308043/
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