Rep. Garbarino Calls For Release of U.S. Marine Stuart Scheller

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Andrew R. Garbarino recently wrote to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and General David Berger requesting the release of Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Scheller from pretrial confinement and an investigation into the Department of Defense's handling of the situation. LTC Scheller was jailed after criticizing the Biden Administration's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. 

Read the full text of the letter below and here. 

Secretary Austin and General Berger,

I write to request the release of Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Stuart Scheller from pretrial confinement. It is absolutely unacceptable that a Lieutenant Colonel with over 15 years of service and an excellent record was placed in pretrial confinement in the first place seemingly due to political messaging and convenience. I have not seen any evidence that LTC Scheller poses a serious risk of criminal misconduct that would warrant such confinement, and I urge you to release him immediately.

There is no question that the Biden Administration completely botched and mismanaged the withdrawal from Afghanistan. It is understandable that LTC Scheller would request accountability from senior military officials after 13 of his fellow servicemembers died at the Kabul Airport. These Americans represented the very best of us and gave their lives working to bring their fellow Americans home. Each one of these brave men and women deserve every honor and tribute we can give them, including accountability from those responsible for their deaths.

LTC Scheller’s pretrial confinement is an alarming attempt by the Department of Defense (DoD) to conduct a politically motivated investigation and silence whistleblowers. What’s even more concerning than the lack of charges in a formal court martial is that DoD held a closed military court hearing today. This attempt by DoD to quietly punish LTC Scheller for speaking out is inconceivable. The public and the press have the right to access judicial proceedings, and DoD should conduct a transparent investigation accordingly.

I look forward to the swift release of LTC Scheller from pretrial confinement, and I am calling for a full investigation into DoD’s handling of this situation.

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