On Thursday, Rep. James Comer (R-KY) and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) penned a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin demanding answers as to why an outspoken United States Marine was jailed after he posted a video questioning the Biden administration’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal.
As Katie reported, “[b]ack in August, Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller called for accountability for military leadership on the disastrous and catastrophic exit from Afghanistan. He did so knowing he was risking his career and would likely face punishment for doing so.” In his video, Scheller shared his criticisms of the withdrawal and even namechecked several high-ranking military officials. Scheller was “taken to the brig” shortly after.
In the letter, it notes that Scheller has not been charged in a formal court martial. But, it states that he will likely face several charges as part of a “politically motivated” investigation.
“In the wake of a terrorist attack on U.S. forces and Afghan nationals that killed 13 service members, Lt. Col. Scheller posted a public video on a social media website expressing criticism of senior officials handling the withdrawal from Afghanistan and demanding they be held to account. His superior officers subsequently relieved him of his command.
On Monday, September 27, 2021, Lt. Col. Scheller was then incarcerated and placed in pretrial confinement at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Although he has apparently not yet been charged in a formal court martial, he stands accused of contempt toward officials, disobeying a superior officer, failing to obey lawful orders, and conduct unbecoming of an officer. It appears these charges would also relate to his criticism of senior military officials for their actions in connection with the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
In order to facilitate oversight over the military’s decision to relieve Lt. Col. Scheller of his command and incarcerate him in what appears to be a politically motivated investigation, we request a Member-level briefing no later than October 7, 2021 on his incarceration, the underlying investigation against him, and what, if anything, the Department of Defense is doing to ensure that it is not unfairly or unlawfully retaliating against whistleblowers.”
In a statement from Scheller’s parents posted to Twitter, they said “[a]ll our son did was ask the questions that everyone was asking themselves, but too scared to speak out loud. He doesn’t deserve this treatment.”
Read the full letter below:
The Biden Administration has placed a U.S. Marine in solitary confinement for requesting accountability for the debacle in Afghanistan.
— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) September 30, 2021
Why are our troops the ones facing consequences for the failures of @POTUS and @SecDef? pic.twitter.com/6RhKGCGKhp