MARCHING ORDERS

Lead Prosecutor Dismissed in Navy SEAL’s War-Crimes Court-Martial

It’s not clear if the trial, which was due to start next week, will be moved back to allow time to replace the lead prosecutor.

The politically charged case of a Navy SEAL accused of carrying out war crimes in Iraq took another twist Monday when the lead prosecutor was removed from the court-martial proceedings. It’s a significant setback for the prosecution a week before Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher’s trial is due to begin. The case has caught the eye of President Trump, who has reportedly been considering issuing a pardon for him. The unusual ruling to remove the lead prosecutor—Cmdr. Christopher Czaplak—came late Monday after accusations that he was involved in efforts to secretly track emails of defense lawyers and a journalist covering the case, according to The New York Times. It’s not clear if the trial will be rescheduled to allow the prosecution time to replace Czaplak. “We will continue to fight for Chief Gallagher until justice is done,” said Marc Mukasey, one of Gallagher’s lawyers—who also represents Donald Trump.