Judge threatens to depose Hegseth over anti-trans remarks in military ban case
Judge Ana Reyes orders Hegseth to answer written questions and warns she'll force a deposition if he's evasive.
What to know
- Judge Ana Reyes ordered Hegseth to answer written questions about his anti-trans statements, including a slur used before senior military leaders.
- Reyes warned she will compel a full deposition if Hegseth's written answers are evasive or inadequate.
- The DOJ had just filed for summary judgment arguing the ban's legality should be assessed from its text alone, not officials' public rhetoric — an argument Reyes rejected.
- Reyes previously found in the same case, Talbott v. United States, that the ban appeared motivated by unconstitutional anti-trans discrimination.
“He has time to tweet,”
Judge Ana Reyes, U.S. District Judge · The Advocate ↗ · Oct 13
Pete Hegseth U.S. Secretary of DefenseAna Reyes U.S. District JudgeU.S. Department of Justice Defendant's counsel
How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts
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Judge Reyes orders Hegseth to answer questions, threatens deposition
At a status conference, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes rejected DOJ claims that Hegseth's anti-trans statements, including a slur used before senior military leaders, were irrelevant to allegations the ban is driven by anti-trans animus. She ordered Hegseth to answer written questions from attorneys representing transgender service members and said she would force him to sit for a deposition if his answers proved evasive or inadequate.
“I am very aware that he is the secretary of defense and has a lot of constraints on his time, but he has time to tweet, and he has time to put out videos, and he has time to speak to the generals.”
— Judge Ana Reyes -
first by Advocate, 17h ago
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https://www. europesays.com/3311050/ Pete Hegseth may have to testify under oath about his anti-trans slurs. A federal judge put the DOJ on notice # Død # pentagon # PeteHegseth # SecretaryOfDefense
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background
DOJ files for summary judgment in trans military ban case — Justice Department attorneys filed notice seeking summary judgment in Talbott v. United States, arguing courts should judge the ban's constitutionality by its written language rather than by public statements from officials who implement it, such as Hegseth.