Individuals raised nearly $2 million on behalf of the Marine facing possible charges for his public criticism of military leadership amid the Afghanistan withdrawal.
Supporters have raised more than $1.85 million from over 23,000 donations for Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller Jr., who awaits a hearing for his viral videos in which he called for accountability for the military’s top brass. He is in pretrial confinement in the Regional Brig for Marine Corps Installations East abroad Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. However, the time, date, and location of the Article 32 proceeding has not been scheduled.
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A number of conservatives have thrown their support behind Scheller, as he was critical of the Biden administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal execution.
Scheller said in the first of his viral videos: “The reason people are so upset on social media right now is not because the Marine on the battlefield let someone down. People are upset because their senior leaders let them down. And none of them are raising their hands and accepting accountability or saying, ‘We messed up.'”
Despite his popularity in conservative circles, including more than two dozen GOP lawmakers who sent a letter calling for his release from confinement, Scheller recently spoke out on social media to distance himself from the former president.
“President Trump. I was told by everyone to kiss the ring because of your following and power,” he said in a Facebook post last Saturday. “I refuse. While I respect your foreign policy positions, I hate how you divided the country. I don’t need or want your help. You do not have the ability to pull US together.”
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“You may even win the next election,” Scheller added. “But your generation’s time is running out. Tell your son to stop tweeting about me. Your whole family knows nothing about US or our sacrifices. I could never work with you. I’d rather sit in jail and be released with a dishonorable than make compromises in my beliefs.”
He has not been charged, though four specific charges will be considered during his hearing: Article 88 (contempt toward officials), Article 90 (willfully disobeying a superior commissioned officer), Article 92 (failure to obey lawful general orders), and Article 133 (conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman), according to a Marine Corps spokesperson.
