A legal watchdog has filed professional misconduct complaints against US Attorney Jeanine Pirro and two prosecutors, accusing them of abusing their authority while pursuing criminal charges against six Democratic lawmakers.
The Legal Accountability Center submitted the complaints on Tuesday to disciplinary authorities in New York and Virginia. The organisation alleged that Pirro, Carlton Davis and Steven Vandervelden violated legal ethics by seeking what it described as “meritless” indictments against lawmakers viewed as political opponents of President Donald Trump.
The complaints relate to a case involving six Democratic members of Congress who appeared in a video urging US military personnel to follow established procedures and refuse orders they considered unlawful.
A Washington grand jury declined in February to indict the lawmakers, including Senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin and four members of the House of Representatives. All six have previous experience in the military or intelligence services.
Trump had criticised the lawmakers over the video, accusing them of sedition and saying the offence was “punishable by DEATH” in a social media post.
Tim Lauer, a spokesperson for Pirro’s Washington office, rejected the watchdog’s allegations, arguing that prosecutors do not determine whether an indictment is issued.
“Attempting to weaponize the disciplinary process against prosecutors for doing their jobs amounts to nothing more than a frivolous complaint,” Lauer said.
The Legal Accountability Center, however, argued that Pirro’s office lacked a legitimate legal basis for pursuing charges against the lawmakers.
In its complaint against Pirro, the organisation asked disciplinary authorities to investigate whether she and the other prosecutors breached professional conduct rules and to “pursue appropriate discipline” if violations are established.
“The only purpose could have been political animus and a desire to intimidate perceived enemies of the federal government and the President, who personally criticized the lawmakers’ video as seditious and punishable by death,” the complaint stated.
The organisation also accused the prosecutors of allowing political considerations to influence decisions that should be based solely on law and evidence.
“Prosecutors have enormous power, and with that power comes an obligation to exercise independent legal judgment rather than use the criminal justice system to carry out a president’s political demands,” said Michael Teter, co-founder of the Legal Accountability Center.
The watchdog has previously lodged complaints against other officials linked to the Trump administration, including Ed Martin Jr., who served as Pirro’s predecessor as US Attorney for the District of Columbia.
Meanwhile, Senator Kelly has separately challenged actions taken against him by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over his involvement in the video. Kelly, a former Navy pilot from Arizona, sued to prevent the disciplinary action, and a district court judge ruled in his favour. Hegseth has appealed the decision.
The latest complaints were filed against Pirro and Vandervelden with a grievance committee in White Plains, New York, while the complaint against Davis was submitted to the Virginia State Bar.
Pirro, a former prosecutor and judge in New York, left her position as a Fox News host before becoming Washington’s top federal prosecutor last year.
