Iran protests: 2,000 killed, activists say, as Trump weighs military action

Iranian protesters participate in a pro-Government rally in Tehran, Iran, on January 12, 2026. The rally takes place in Tehran against the recent anti-government unrest, opposition to the U.S. and Israel in Iran, and in support of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

(LONDON) — The death toll from major anti-government protests in Iran reached at least 2,000 as of Tuesday, according to data published by the the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), over 16 days of unrest.

At least 10,721 people have been arrested, HRANA said, in protests that have been recorded in 606 locations in 187 cities across all 31 Iranian provinces. Among the dead are nine children, the group reported.

The HRANA data relies on the work of activists inside and outside the country. ABC News cannot independently verify these numbers. The group earlier on Tuesday said 646 people had been killed. The Iranian government has not provided any death tolls during the ongoing protests.

Iranian state-aligned media, meanwhile, has reported that more than 100 members of the security forces have been killed in the unrest. HRANA said that 133 military and security personnel were among those killed in the protest wave to date, along with one prosecutor.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday announced a 25% tariff on any country doing business with Iran, after repeatedly warning Tehran against the use of force to suppress the ongoing protests.

“Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America,” Trump said in a social media post on Monday. “This Order is final and conclusive.”

In response to the announcement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the position of Beijing — which is a key trading partner for Tehran — “is very clear — there are no winners in a tariff war. China will firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.”

China “supports Iran in maintaining national stability,” she added. “We have always opposed interference in other countries’ internal affairs and the use or threat of force in international relations.”

Trump’s national security team are expected to meet at the White House on Tuesday to discuss his options for intervention in the Islamic Republic.

One U.S. official told ABC News that among the options under consideration are new sanctions against key regime figures or against Iran’s energy or banking sectors.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt suggested reporters on Monday that military options remain open to Trump.

The president, she said, “is always keeping all of his options on the table and air strikes would be one of the many, many options on the table for the commander in chief. Diplomacy is always the first option for the president.”

Citing “escalating” protests and increased security measures, the State Department also urged Americans to leave Iran.

“U.S. citizens should expect continued internet outages, plan alternative means of communication, and, if safe to do so, consider departing Iran by land to Armenia or Türkiye,” a new security alert posted on the U.S. “virtual” Embassy Tehran website on Monday stated.

Protests have been spreading across the country since late December. The first marches took place in downtown Tehran, with participants demonstrating against rising inflation and the falling value of the national currency, the rial.

As the protests spread, some have taken on a more explicitly anti-government tone.

The theocratic government in Tehran — headed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — moved to tame the protests, with security forces reportedly using tear gas and live ammunition to disperse gatherings.

A sustained national internet outage has been in place across the country for several days. Online monitoring group NetBlocks said on Tuesday that the “nationwide internet shutdown” had been ongoing for 108 hours.

The United Nations’ High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a statement on Tuesday that hundreds of people had been killed and thousands arrested.

Turk said he was “horrified by the mounting violence against protesters” and urged Iranian authorities to immediately halt all forms of violence and repression, and restore full access to internet and telecommunications.

Khamenei and top Iranian officials have said they are willing to engage with the economic grievances of protesters, though have framed the unrest as driven by “rioters” and “terrorists” sponsored by foreign nations — prime among them the U.S. and Israel — and supported by foreign infiltrators.

On Monday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the wave of protests as a “terrorist war” while speaking to foreign diplomats in Tehran.

Also on Monday, state television broadcast footage of pro-government rallies organized in other major cities.

The footage showed crowds waving Iranian flags in Tehran’s Revolution Square. State television described the Tehran demonstration as an “Iranian uprising against American-Zionist terrorism.”

Dissident figures abroad, meanwhile, have urged Iranians to take to the street and overthrow the government.

Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi — who from his base in the U.S. has become a prominent critic of the Iranian government — on Monday appealed to Trump to act in support of the protesters.

“I have called the people to the streets to fight for their freedom and to overwhelm the security forces with sheer numbers,” Pahlavi wrote on X. “Last night they did that. Your threat to this criminal regime has also kept the regime’s thugs at bay. But time is of the essence.”

“Please be prepared to intervene to help the people of Iran,” Pahlavi added.

ABC News’ Somayeh Malekian, Morgan Winsor, Meredith Deliso, Anne Flaherty, Mariam Khan, Othon Leyva, Britt Clennett and Joseph Simonetti contributed to this report.

January 13, 2026

Politics

Treasury Secretary Bessent not happy about investigation into Powell, conveyed concerns to Trump: Sources

Scott Bessent, US treasury secretary, during an Economic Club of Minnesota event in Golden Valley, Minnesota, US, on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. Bessent called for the Federal Reserve to continue cutting interest rates, extending his pressure campaign on US monetary policymakers. Photographer: Ben Brewer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is not happy with the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, multiple sources told ABC News, warning it creates an unnecessary distraction.

Bessent conveyed those concerns directly to President Donald Trump in a call on Sunday, sources said.

Sources added Bessent was not advocating for Powell or questioning the investigation when he spoke to the president, but he did make clear his concerns.

Axios was the first to report the call. The White House has not responded to a request for comment.

When ABC News reached out for comment about the Axios report, a Treasury Department spokesperson said, “There is zero daylight between Secretary Bessent and President Trump, and the ‘sources’ in this story do not speak for the Secretary.”

Powell announced the Justice Department probe in a rare video message on Sunday night. The news sparked backlash from former Federal Reserve and Treasury officials as well as current members of Congress, including several Republicans who typically support the administration’s actions.

The investigation is related to Powell’s testimony last June about the multiyear renovation of the central bank’s buildings in Washington. But Trump has made Powell a frequent target of his attacks and push to cut interest rates, and Powell said he believes the probe is politically motivated.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday said Trump has “every right” to criticize Powell’s leadership but said he didn’t direct the Justice Department to investigate.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

January 13, 2026

National

4 years after his arrest in Russia, American David Barnes moved to remote penal colony

David Barnes appears in court in Russia on Feb. 13, 2024 (ABC News)

(NEW YORK) — Paul Carter and his friend David Barnes have been speaking with each other since their days in first grade in Huntsville, Alabama, more than 60 years ago.

Yet since Jan. 13, 2022, their conversations over the phone haven’t been the same.

“It’s hard to sit there and hear him just plea, ‘Somebody get me home,'” Carter told ABC News in an interview.

Barnes, a 68-year-old father of two boys, is serving the longest prison sentence of any American who is currently being held in Russia. He was recently relocated to a penal colony hundreds of miles from Moscow.

Tuesday marks four years since Barnes was taken into custody.

His family says Barnes’ arrest came after he traveled from his apartment in The Woodlands, Texas, to Russia at the end of 2021 to try to gain visitation or custody rights to his sons through Moscow’s family court system.

Barnes’ ex-wife, Svetlana Koptyaeva, had taken their children to her native Russia following bitter divorce and child custody proceedings in Montgomery County, Texas. Upon learning of Barnes’ arrival in Russia, his family says she contacted law enforcement in Moscow and accused him of having abused the two boys.

“[She] did not want him to have access to his children, so she made the worst possible accusation that she could come up with,” Margaret Aaron, Barnes’ sister, told ABC News.

Moscow prosecutors’ case against Barnes was unlike any other involving an American jailed in Russia in recent memory, since Barnes was not accused of committing a crime on Russian soil.

Instead, Moscow prosecutors alleged that he abused his sons in suburban Houston, even though Texas law enforcement says they had no involvement in the Russian trial and previously found those allegations to not be credible after conducting their own investigation in response to Koptyaeva’s claims.

“I stand firmly by the allegations against Mr. Barnes,” Koptyaeva wrote to ABC News in an email Monday. “They are supported by my sons’ testimonies and evidence presented in both U.S. and Russian courts.”

Barnes was convicted by a judge in Moscow in 2024 and sentenced to more than 21 years in prison.

“Was it a fair trial? By no means,” Carter said.

After spending years in a detention center in the Russian capital, Barnes was recently transferred to the IK-17 penal colony, according to a spokesperson for his family. The facility previously housed other high-profile detainees like American Paul Whelan, who was freed from Russia in 2024 as part of a prisoner swap.

Carter and Barnes’ siblings have maintained their hope for years that an exchange like the ones involving Whelan, Brittney Griner or Trevor Reed could bring Barnes back.

“We can’t speak for the other people that are in jail in Russia but we absolutely know without a doubt that David is an innocent guy that’s being held on some horrendous charges,” Carter said.

‘Nothing to justify what happened’

While Barnes already stood trial in Moscow, prosecutors more than 6,000 miles away in Texas are hoping that his ex-wife will face a different set of accusations in a courtroom 40 miles north of Houston.

The criminal case against Koptyaeva dates back nearly seven years.

From 2014 to 2019, Texas court records show that Barnes and Koptyaeva were going through an acrimonious divorce and child custody dispute.

“It gradually deteriorated,” Carter said. “He married a woman that he loved and brought two children into the world and, through forces that he didn’t understand or see, it went downhill.”

Koptyaeva raised serious accusations against Barnes during this time, accusing him of abusing their children, which he vehemently denied.

“I can say that the allegations against Mr. Barnes were investigated and evaluated by law enforcement here in Montgomery County and charges were not brought against him,” Montgomery County First Assistant District Attorney Kelly Blackburn told ABC News on Monday.

The custody battle between Barnes and Koptyaeva ultimately resulted in a family law trial.

“A jury also heard evidence regarding the allegations during his custody dispute in the family law trial and even after hearing about the allegations, still awarded Mr. Barnes custody of his two children,” Blackburn said. “And that is when his ex-wife fled with them to Russia.”

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office alleged that despite a judgment giving Barnes partial custody of their children, Koptyaeva “failed to comply with any condition for travel outside of the United States with the children,” and left the country with the boys on a Turkish Airlines flight from Houston to Istanbul on March 26, 2019.

Interpol published yellow global police notices containing pictures of the children and Koptyaeva was subsequently charged with interference with child custody, a felony crime in Texas.

A warrant for Koptyaeva’s arrest in connection with this charge is still active, according to Blackburn.

“I am not planning to return to the United States,” Koptyaeva told ABC News. “However, if I were to do so, I would plead not guilty, as I did nothing wrong. My actions were solely to protect my children from severe abuse, something any parent would do in my situation.”

A Texas court subsequently designated Barnes as the primary guardian of the children, but since the boys were believed to have ultimately ended up in Russia with Koptyaeva, he was unable to have a relationship with them.

Barnes’ friends and family maintain that Barnes’ desire to legally reunite with his children is what prompted him to travel to Moscow after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. Instead, he ended up in a series of Russian detention centers.

“There’s nothing to justify what happened,” Carter said.

New Year, new hope?

As Barnes begins his fifth year of detention in Russia, for the first time he is being held in a penal colony a long distance away from Moscow

“From what we understand, the climate is quite a bit different,” Carter said, explaining that while Barnes was often housed in a cell with 14 to 17 other people in Moscow, he has more room to walk around in his new facility.

Carter said that the penal colony is a labor camp of sorts, but Barnes’ labor has largely been restricted to shoveling show. He is worried about his friend’s medical condition though, noting that Barnes has lost around 10 teeth since he has been in custody.

Koptyaeva has maintained that Barnes was justifiably charged and convicted, while Barnes’ relatives and acquaintances have been advocating for the U.S. government to declare that Russia is wrongfully detaining Barnes.

“We commend all efforts to secure Mr. Barnes’ release,” Rep. Dan Crenshaw, Rep. Dale Strong and Sen. John Cornyn wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio in November. “As the Administration continues negotiations with Russia, we urge you to utilize every tool available to facilitate his return to the United States.”

Blackburn, the Montgomery County First Assistant District Attorney, said he is not in a position at this time to say whether Barnes’ detention in Russia is wrongful, noting, “I don’t know what evidence was presented during the trial or anything else about how the proceeding[s] [were] conducted.”

The State Department has not answered ABC News’ questions over whether it considers Barnes’ detention to be wrongful.

“The Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and welfare of American citizens,” the agency said in a statement to ABC News. “U.S. Embassy officials continue to provide consular assistance to Mr. Barnes.”

Carter said that there has been increased advocacy against Barnes’ detention recently and that he is hopeful that the Trump administration will be able to bring his friend home — but fears Barnes being devastated if he is left out of another prisoner exchange.

“He’s been in some insufferable conditions and it doesn’t need to continue,” his friend said.

ABC News’ Tanya Stukalova contributed to this report.

January 13, 2026

National

Man dies after being caught in avalanche while snowmobiling

A Utah man was found dead after being caught in an avalanche Sunday afternoon in Lincoln County, Wyoming, authorities said. (Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office)

(LINCOLN COUNTY, Wyo) — A Utah man was found dead after being caught in an avalanche Sunday afternoon in Lincoln County, Wyoming, authorities said.

Nicholas Bringhurst, 31, was snowmobiling in the LaBarge Creek area when he was caught in an avalanche that buried him in snow, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office received a notification from a satellite device reporting an injured person, and Air Idaho was contacted and responded to the area.

“Bringhurst’s friend located and unburied him and initiated CPR,” authorities said. “However, Bringhurst died as a result of being caught in the avalanche.”

Lincoln County Coroner Dain Schwab said the coroner’s office will investigate and determine the cause of death.

“The Sheriff’s Office expresses our deepest sympathies to the Bringhurst family,” officials said.

ABC News’ Tristan Maglunog contributed to this report.

January 13, 2026

Entertainment

In brief: Lee Cronin’s ‘The Mummy’ teaser trailer and more

The teaser trailer for Lee Cronin‘s The Mummy has arrived. Warner Bros. Pictures released the official teaser trailer for the upcoming film, which arrives in theaters on April 17. Cronin, who helmed Evil Dead Rise, now takes on one of the most iconic horror stories with his own twisted retelling. The movie stars Jack Reynor, Laia Costa and May Calamawy, and follows what happens when the daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace before she returns eight years later …

Andrew Scott and Olivia Colman‘s upcoming film Elsinore just added a bunch of new actors to its cast. Deadline reports that Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, Luke Thompson and Joe Locke have joined the cast of the upcoming film about the life of Ian Charleson. Simon Stone directs the movie, which is currently filming in the U.K. …

Survivor host Jeff Probst has announced that the live reunion show will return for the upcoming 50th season of the reality competition series. This landmark season of the show has the theme In the Hands of the Fans. The upcoming live reunion will go in tandem with the Survivor 50 Challenge, which is a nationwide scavenger hunt for fans to find hidden immunity idols in all 50 states of the U.S. Winners of the scavenger hunt will then be invited to attend the live finale in Los Angeles on May 20 …

January 13, 2026

Business

Inflation expected to have held firm, posing challenge amid DOJ probe into Fed Chair Powell

U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. (Li Yuanqing/Xinhua via Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — An inflation report on Tuesday is set to provide a key gauge of the nation’s economy, just days after reports of a Department of Justice probe into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell brought fresh scrutiny to the independence of the central bank and its capacity to manage price increases.

Economists expect year-over-year inflation to have been left unchanged at 2.7% in December. Inflation stands at its lowest level since July, but it remains nearly a percentage point higher than the Fed’s target rate of 2%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Prices for some high-profile items like coffee and beef continue to soar.

Coffee prices jumped nearly 19% year-over-year in November, the most recent month for which data is available. Beef prices climbed almost 16% over that span. Egg prices plummeted in November, however, falling 13% compared to the previous year.

The onset of elevated inflation alongside sluggish hiring in recent months had put the Fed in a difficult position, even before the DOJ opened a probe into Powell.

The central bank must balance a dual mandate to keep inflation under control and maximize employment. To address pressure on both of its goals, the Fed primarily holds a single tool: interest rates.

The Fed cut interest rates at three consecutive meetings late last year in an effort to boost the flagging labor market. Still, borrowing costs remain well above a 0% rate established at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The criminal probe into Powell appears to center on allegations of false testimony he made about cost overruns in a renovation of the Fed’s headquarters during a congressional hearing in June.

Powell, who was appointed by Trump in 2017, issued a rare video message on Sunday night rebuking the investigation as a politically motivated effort to influence the Fed’s interest rate policy.

A bipartisan group of economists and former top Fed officials on Monday issued a joint statement condemning the probe as an attempt to undermine the Fed’s political independence.

The investigation follows months of strident criticism leveled at the Fed by President Donald Trump, who has urged the central bank to significantly reduce interest rates. Trump denied any involvement in the criminal investigation during a brief interview with NBC News on Sunday night.

In a statement to ABC News, a spokesperson for Attorney General Pam Bondi said, “The Attorney General has instructed her U.S. Attorneys to prioritize investigating any abuse of taxpayer dollars.”

A longstanding norm of independence usually insulates the Fed from direct political interference.

In the event a central bank lacks independence, policymakers tend to favor lower interest rates as a means of boosting short-term economic activity, analysts previously told ABC News. But, they added, that posture poses a major risk in the possibility of years-long inflation fueled by a rise in consumer demand, untethered by interest rates.

Stocks closed higher on Monday, shrugging off a dip earlier in the day after reports of the DOJ probe into Powell.

Treasury yields, however, also ticked up on Monday, suggesting possible concern about the Fed’s ability to constrain inflation.

Since bonds pay a given investor a fixed amount each year, the specter of inflation risks devaluing the asset and, in turn, makes bonds less attractive. When bond prices fall due to a drop in demand for Treasuries, bond yields rise.

January 13, 2026

Sports

Scoreboard roundup — 1/12/26

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Panthers 4, Sabres 3
Hurricanes 3, Red Wings 4
Kraken 4, Rangers 2
Lightning 5, Flyers 1
Canucks 3, Canadiens 6
Devils 5, Wild 2
Oilers 4, Blackhawks 1
Maple Leafs 4, Avalanche 3
Stars 3, Kings 1

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Jazz 123, Cavaliers 112
Celtics 96, Pacers 98
76ers 115, Raptors 102
Nets 105, Mavericks 113
Lakers 112, Kings 124
Hornets 109, Clippers 117

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Texans 30, Steelers 6

January 13, 2026

Entertainment

‘Pretty in Pink’ returns to theaters Valentine’s Day weekend to celebrate 40th anniversary

Jon Cryer, Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy on set of the film ‘Pretty In Pink’ in 1986. (Paramount/Getty Images)

Rom-com fans can spend their Valentine’s Day weekend at the movie theater watching the rerelease of an ’80s classic.

Pretty in Pink is returning to cinemas to celebrate its 40th anniversary. Paramount Pictures is partnering with Fathom Entertainment to put the classic coming-of-age rom-com back on the big screen worldwide.

The movie, which stars Molly Ringwald, Harry Dean Stanton, Jon Cryer, Annie Potts, James Spader and Andrew McCarthy, will be back in theaters Feb. 13 through Feb. 16.

Pretty in Pink was written and executive produced by John Hughes and directed by Howard Deutch. It tells the story of a teen girl named Andie (Ringwald) who lives on the other side of town. She has a thing for Blane (McCarthy), who is the high school’s wealthy heartthrob. He asks her to the prom, but their love story is threatened by peer pressure and Andie’s best friend, Duckie (Cryer).

This special 40th anniversary screening features a bonus “Filmmaker Focus” featurette with Deutch, who recounts memories of the movie’s production and talks about its lasting impact.

“For Generation X, Pretty in Pink captured the imaginations and hearts of moviegoers, and that legacy lives on today—forty years later—for movie lovers of all ages,” Ray Nutt, the chief executive officer at Fathom Entertainment, said in a statement. “Fathom is thrilled to return the movie to the big screen, newly remastered by Paramount Pictures from a 4K film transfer supervised by director Howard Deutch.”

January 13, 2026

National

Barry Morphew pleads not guilty to alleged murder of his wife

Barry Morphew is shown in this booking photo released by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office

(ALAMOSA COUNTY, Colo.) — Barry Morphew has pleaded not guilty for the second time in the alleged murder of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, whose body was found more than three years after the mother of two was reported missing.

The plea was entered on his behalf during his arraignment in Alamosa County, Colorado on Monday.

His trial has been scheduled to start on Oct. 13. He waived his right to a speedy trial, due to the amount of data and anticipated length of the proceedings. The trial is expected to last up to six weeks.

Suzanne Morphew was reported missing on Mother’s Day in May 2020. Her remains were found in September 2023 while investigators were searching in an unrelated case. Her death was subsequently ruled a homicide.

A grand jury returned an indictment against Barry Morphew on a single count of first-degree murder in June 2025. He was taken into custody in Arizona.

He had previously been charged with his wife’s presumed murder in 2021, but those charges were dropped in April 2022, just before the trial was supposed to begin.

Barry Morphew was the last known person to see his wife alive, according to the probable cause statement in the indictment.

The day she was reported missing, he told police she had planned to go on a bike ride while he was out of town on a work trip, according to the indictment. Her bike and helmet were later located in separate locations near the home.

In early interviews with law enforcement following his wife’s disappearance, Barry Morphew allegedly said their marriage was “the best,” according to the indictment. Though his statements were “inconsistent with other witness accounts and evidence located,” the indictment stated, noting that Suzanne Morphew had “confided in people that she was unhappy in the marriage in the weeks and months leading to her disappearance” and had discussed plans to divorce her husband with a close friend.

Investigators also uncovered a screenshot of a text message from Suzanne Morphew on her husband’s phone that stated, according to the indictment: “I’m done. I could care less what you’re up to and have been for years. We just need to figure this out civilly.” The screenshot was saved on May 6, 2020 — four days before she was reported missing by a neighbor, according to the indictment.

Suzanne Morphew’s body was found in September 2023 near the town of Moffat, less than an hour south of where she lived, according to the indictment.

Her death was determined to have been caused by homicide “by undetermined means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication,” according to the autopsy.

Law enforcement specifically requested that the coroner’s office test for the presence of butorphanol, azaperone and medetomidine, which comprise a chemical mixture known as BAM that is used for sedating animals, according to the indictment.

Prior to moving to Colorado in 2018, Barry Morphew was a deer farmer in Indiana and used BAM to sedate and transport deer on his farm, according to the indictment. He allegedly admitted to using BAM in Colorado as recently as April 2020 to tranquilize a deer on his property, according to the indictment.

According to the indictment, records of BAM prescriptions showed that Barry Morphew last purchased BAM by prescription in March 2018, and that no individual or business in the Colorado region where the Morphews lived and where Suzanne Morphew’s remains were found had purchased BAM prescriptions from 2017 to 2020.

“Ultimately, the prescription records show that when Suzanne Morphew disappeared, only one private citizen living in that entire area of the state had access to BAM: Barry Morphew,” the indictment stated.

Barry Morphew has denied any involvement in his wife’s death.

“Yet again, the government allows their predetermined conclusion to lead their search for evidence,” his attorney, David Beller, said in a statement to ABC News last year following his indictment. “Barry maintains his innocence. The case has not changed and the outcome will not either.”

His attorney during his initial prosecution by the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office also maintained her former client’s innocence.

“Not only is he a loving father, but he was a loving husband,” the attorney, Iris Eytan said in a statement. “I’ve handled thousands of cases, and I’ve never seen prosecutors mishandle a case so recklessly.”

The district attorney for the 11th Judicial District at the time, Linda Stanley, was disbarred by the Colorado Supreme Court in 2024 for misconduct regarding the Morphew case and others.

Barry Morphew and his daughters spoke to ABC News in May 2023 after they filed a lawsuit against prosecutors, saying he was wrongfully charged.

“They’ve got tunnel vision and they looked at one person and they’ve got too much pride to say they’re wrong and look somewhere else,” he said at the time. “I don’t have anything to worry about. I’ve done nothing wrong.”

January 12, 2026

Politics

Sen. Mark Kelly files lawsuit against Pete Hegseth over censure

Sen. Mark Kelly leaves after the Senate voted on the Venezuela War Powers Resolution at the U.S. Capitol, January 08, 2026, in Washington. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly on Monday filed a lawsuit against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arguing that Hegseth’s censure of him last week over his inclusion in a social media video that told U.S. service members they have a right to refuse unlawful orders violated his constitutional rights.

“Pete Hegseth is coming after what I earned through my twenty-five years of military service, in violation of my rights as an American, as a retired veteran, and as a United States Senator whose job is to hold him — and this or any administration — accountable. His unconstitutional crusade against me sends a chilling message to every retired member of the military: if you speak out and say something that the President or Secretary of Defense doesn’t like, you will be censured, threatened with demotion, or even prosecuted,” Kelly said in a statement.

The senator’s lawsuit also names the Department of Defense, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan and the Department of the Navy as defendants.

Kelly alleges, among other things, that actions taken against him violate his First Amendment right to free speech, the speech and debate clause that protects lawmakers and his right to due process.

ABC News has reached out to Department of Defense for comment.

Hegseth censured Kelly on Jan. 5 for “conduct [that] was seditious in nature,” referring to the video Kelly participated in in November alongside other Democrats who previously served in the military or in the intelligence community.

Kelly and the other five Democrats involved in the video have defended their message as being in line with the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the Constitution.

The censure will result in a reduction in rank and Kelly’s retirement pay, a process Hegseth said would take 45 days. Kelly retired as a Navy captain and receives retirement benefits for his more than 20 years of service.

Kelly retired as a Navy captain and receives retirement benefits for his more than 20 years of service.

In an interview with ABC News after the censure, Kelly said he still would “absolutely not” have changed his message to U.S. troops about not following illegal orders.’

“Let me make this perfectly clear, though, that Gabby and I are not people that back down,” Kelly said last Tuesday during an appearance with his wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords, on “Good Morning America.” “From anything, from any kind of fight.”

January 12, 2026

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