A federal judge on Thursday shut down Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s attempts to punish Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly over his urging of US service members to refuse illegal orders, ruling that the Pentagon chief’s actions were unconstitutionally retaliatory.

A U.S. judge on Thursday blocked the Pentagon from reducing Senator Mark Kelly's retired military rank and pension pay because he urged troops to reject unlawful orders.

Kelly, a former Navy pilot who retired with the rank of captain, sued in January after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a formal censure that could have led to Kelly’s demotion in retired rank an...