Ethics complaint filed against Rep. Moulton for comments on Pete Hegseth, execution

Tim Dunn, Boston Herald on May 20, 2026

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An ethics complaint has been filed against Congressman Seth Moulton, D-Mass., for remarks he made on a recent CNN interview about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, including a reference to Nazi U-boat captains “executed” for war crimes for shooting at boats.

The complaint, filed Tuesday by the Center to Advance Security in America, or CASA, calls for an investigation into an April 29 appearance on CNN’s "Erin Burnett Outfront" program where Moulton was asked whether he thought Hegseth was guilty of war crimes based on a series of accusations related to the war in Iran and the U.S. military’s lethal boat strikes on drug runners and cartels in the Caribbean.

“In these unprecedented times of left-wing political violence, we are extremely concerned that Representative Moulton’s vile comments could be used by others to justify violence against cabinet officials or other high-ranking members of the Trump Administration,” the complaint, dated May 18 and authored by CASA Director James Fitzpatrick, says.

“Insinuating that the Secretary of War may be executed at some point in the future rises to the level of misconduct and is behavior that does not show a proper respect for the principles of ethics and morality,” Fitzpatrick adds.

Moulton compared Hegseth’s role in facilitating U.S. military actions under the Trump administration to Nazi submarine captains who were tried for war crimes for following the orders of German dictator Adolf Hitler during World War II.

“You know, it’s interesting, Erin, another historical analogy: Back in World War II, the Allies tried Nazi submarine captains for doing this exact same thing. And guess what the conclusion was? They got executed. Listen to that, Mr. Secretary,” Moulton told host Erin Burnett, referring to the U.S. military’s “double tap” method of striking drug boats. This quote was specifically referenced in the complaint.

“I mean, he’s clearly behind the operation to shoot all these boats in the Caribbean when it’s very unclear that we actually have any confirmation that these so-called narco-terrorists, a term the administration invented to justify this action, are even on the boats. I mean, in fact, there‘s a lot of evidence that these are just fishermen, you know, getting jobs, piloting these boats, trying to feed their families,” Moulton said during the CNN appearance.

In its complaint, CASA cites a clause in the House Ethics Manual that says members may be investigated for, among other things, “Making statements that impugned the reputation of the House,” and that the House may discipline a member for “any misconduct, including conduct or activity which does not directly relate to official duties, when such conduct unfavorably reflects on the institution as a whole.”

Moulton is pushing back, however, defending his remarks on CNN.

“Unlike President Trump, who directly called for members of Congress to be hanged, my comments were meant to highlight the fact that Secretary Hegseth has committed war crimes and should be held accountable for those war crimes. Explaining that there is historical precedent for war criminals being held accountable for their actions is not a call for violence,” Moulton told the Boston Herald. “I will not back down on calling out the war crimes of this administration. It’s crazy that CASA cares more about attacking patriotic Democrats than criticizing war crimes that kill people and make our country less safe.”

CASA said Moulton’s comments were “wholly inappropriate and dangerous,” adding that the congressman may possibly be empowering individual actors who believe Hegseth is guilty of war crimes to commit violence against him. The group also said that Moulton’s comments could encourage foreign governments to pursue war crimes charges against Hegseth.

Moulton has been a staunch and vocal critic of not only Hegseth but several other Trump Cabinet members, as well as President Donald Trump himself.

In December, Moulton instigated a highly publicized feud with then-acting ICE Director Todd Lyons over conditions at the ICE facility in Burlington and accusations of inhumane treatment of detainees. Moulton had called for the agency and individual agents to be prosecuted before going back and forth with Lyons on social media.

Moulton further antagonized the Trump administration by bringing illegal immigrant Marcelo Gomes da Silva — who the Herald reported in February was named in 2021 police reports involving sexual assault and juveniles — to the State of the Union address as an effort to make a political statement on illegal immigration.

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