'Seditious' Democrats react to grand jury indictment decision

Months after President Trump called for the arrest of the "seditious" Democrats who called on military and intelligence personnel to "refuse illegal orders" from the administration, federal prosecution efforts led by D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro have hit a roadblock.

On Tuesday, a grand jury refused to indict Democratic lawmakers involved in the video, the Associated Press reported, citing an anonymous source familiar with the matter.

'Tonight we can score one for the Constitution, our freedom of speech, and the rule of law.'

The Justice Department reportedly opened an investigation into the six members of Congress who appeared in the November "Don't Give Up the Ship" video. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) complained at the time that this was a form of "intimidation."

RELATED: 'SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR': Trump demands arrest of 'traitor' Democrat congressmen for 'dangerous' video

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

It was not immediately clear whether prosecutors were pursuing indictments against all six of the lawmakers or what charges they were attempting to bring. Prosecutors, however, could still attempt to secure an indictment against those involved, Fox News reported.

Slotkin was joined by Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), and Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) in the video.

Slotkin, who claims to have organized the video, made a lengthy social media post on Tuesday.

"President Trump continues to weaponize our justice system against his perceived enemies," Slotkin said in part. "It’s the kind of thing you see in a foreign country, not in the United States we know and love. No matter what President Trump and Pirro continue to do with this case, tonight we can score one for the Constitution, our freedom of speech, and the rule of law."

Kelly called the investigation an "outrageous abuse of power by Donald Trump and his lackies," adding, "Donald Trump wants every American to be too scared to speak out against him. The most patriotic thing any of us can do is not back down."

Crow posted a minute-long video captioned in part, "We will continue to fight back against their rising tyranny."

Deluzio chimed in: "They may want Americans to be afraid to speak out or to disagree — but patriotism demands courage in this moment. DON’T GIVE UP THE SHIP!"

Houlahan called the entire investigation a "distraction": "Today, as we celebrate the win for free speech, I'm putting this distraction behind us and getting back to the real work at hand."

The D.C. U.S. Attorney's Office and the Justice Department did not respond to the AP's request for comment.

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