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Murtha Aide Threatened Me: GOP Opponent

Army vet says staffer warned about a possible court-martial

By Katherine Thompson, Newser Staff

Posted May 13, 2009 10:46 AM CDT

(Newser) – John Murtha's 2008 Republican challenger has accused an aide to the Pennsylvania congressman of threatening to recall him to active military service so the Army could court-martial him, Politico reports. Participating in elective politics while on active duty is against military policy. Russell, who retired from the Army Reserves during the campaign, says John Hugya issued the threat in March, after saying something similar to Russell's commanding officer in January.

The Murtha camp calls the charges spurious, and ethics experts agree that although Hugya's statements might not be polite, they don't represent violations. "Look, there’s a certain rough-and-tumble in politics," says a former House counsel. No one in Murtha's office has contacted the Pentagon about starting court-martial proceedings against Russell.

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Democrat John Murtha defeated Bill Russell in his 2008 Congressional race, but the Republican says one of Murtha's aides threatened to recall him to military duty. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

U.S. Rep. John Murtha addresses supporters with Sen. Bob Casey and Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner during a campaign rally outside a steel workers union hall in Latrobe, Pa., Nov. 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha, Dem. Pa.,is shown in Carrolltown, Pa. in this 2006 file photo. Republicans will seek a House vote next week admonishing Murtha because they say he threatened a GOP member's spending... (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

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When the [new] secretary of the Army comes in, we’re going to call his ass back to active duty and we’re going to prosecute him under the [Uniform Code of Military Justice]. - What John Hugya reportedly told Ret. Col. Gregory Ritch, Russell's former CO

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Murtha Aide Threatened Me: GOP Opponent