WASHINGTON, D.C. — The complaints allege that Pirro, Carlton Davis, and Steven Vandervelden abused prosecutorial powers to seek meritless indictments against President Donald Trump’s perceived political enemies. The complaint states that Pirro's office had no legal basis for its effort to secure an indictment against the six lawmakers.

A grand jury in Washington refused to indict Sens. Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin and four House Democrats in February. The grand jury refusal concerned urging U.S. service members to follow established military protocols and reject orders they believe to be unlawful. All six lawmakers previously served in the military or at intelligence agencies.

"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. Tim Lauer, a spokesperson for Pirro’s office, stated that it is a grand jury’s job, not prosecutors’, to decide whether to hand up an indictment.

"Attempting to weaponize the disciplinary process against prosecutors for doing their jobs amounts to nothing more than a frivolous complaint," Lauer said in a statement. The center filed its complaint against Pirro and Steven Vandervelden with a grievance committee based in White Plains, New York. The center filed its complaint against Carlton Davis with the Virginia State Bar.

President Donald Trump accused the lawmakers of sedition punishable by death in a social media post. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tried to punish Sen. Kelly for participating in the video. Kelly sued in federal court to block the censure from Hegseth.

A district court judge ruled in Kelly's favor. Hegseth has asked an appeals court to review the decision. The Legal Accountability Center has filed complaints against other Trump administration officials, including Ed Martin Jr. Pirro’s predecessor as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.

Why It Matters

The filings represent a formal challenge to the conduct of federal prosecutors in the District of Columbia, alleging that political motives drove the pursuit of criminal charges against elected officials. The Legal Accountability Center seeks disciplinary action through state bar associations, arguing that the prosecutors failed to exercise independent legal judgment. The outcome of these complaints could establish precedents for how bar authorities evaluate the ethical boundaries of politically sensitive prosecutions.

The underlying events involve a clash between executive branch enforcement priorities and legislative oversight, shown by the grand jury's refusal to indict the lawmakers in February. Parallel legal battles, such as the dispute between Senator Kelly and Defense Secretary Hegseth, indicate broader institutional friction regarding the limits of authority over military personnel and elected representatives. The appeals court review of the district court's decision in favor of Kelly remains pending, adding another layer to the ongoing legal scrutiny of these actions.

What's New

The Legal Accountability Center urged the New York Attorney Grievance Committee to investigate Pirro, 75, for ordering her subordinates to seek the indictments of six lawmakers. The complaints relate to a November 2025 video in which the lawmakers told the military to defy President Donald Trump’s illegal orders. The six lawmakers targeted in the complaints are Sens.

Elissa Slotkin and Kelly, and Reps. Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander, Chrissy Houlahan, and Jason Crow. Jeanine Pirro has been serving as the United States attorney for the District of Columbia since May 2025.

How Sources Differ

The Legal Accountability Center bar complaint filing reports that the Legal Accountability Center filed bar complaints on Tuesday accusing U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and two subordinates of violating ethical duties in seeking to charge six Democratic lawmakers with federal crimes.