Military Lawyer Takes Aim at Hegseth Accusers

A 22-year Army veteran and military legal scholar has emerged as a defender of War Secretary Pete Hegseth, challenging impeachment articles filed by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and drawing White House attention.

Dr. Brian L. Cox, a former Cornell Law School professor and senior fellow at Canada’s Macdonald-Laurier Institute, published an analysis disputing Massie’s eight impeachment articles. His criticism was highlighted in a White House statement.

The charges involve operations in Iran, Yemen and Venezuela, strikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels, and Hegseth’s actions against Sen. Mark Kelly.

Cox defended presidential war powers, argued suspected cartel members could be lawful military targets, and maintained that Kelly, a retired Navy captain, remains subject to military law after urging service members to refuse illegal orders.

He disputed claims that Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s capture constituted kidnapping and argued none of the articles justified impeachment. The House voted 211-204 Tuesday to send the resolution to committee.

In an interview with the South Shore Press, Cox said his response reflected decades of military experience and research into constitutional authority and armed conflict.

“It’s become an overused, and I would say abused, tool of politics,” Cox said of impeachment, explaining why Massie’s resolution warranted a rebuttal.

Originally from Oklahoma, Cox entered the Army in 1996, serving in infantry and combat camera positions before becoming a judge advocate. His assignments included Fort Bragg, Fort Campbell and Fort Drum, and a deployment to Afghanistan.

After retiring in 2018, Cox pursued advanced legal studies, earned a Cornell doctorate and taught international law.

Frustration with academic publishing pushed him toward social media to reach readers without editorial disputes.

“I thought, well, this would be a way for me to bring commentary directly to the public without having to filter through editors with whom I fundamentally disagree,” Cox told the South Shore Press.

“We’re basically talking to ourselves a lot,” he said of academic scholarship.