A U.S. military widow whose husband was killed in the Iran war claims that she is being denied death benefits.
Libby Klinner, the widow of U.S. Air Force Major John “Alex” Klinner, who died in a crash in Iraq in March, said on Instagram Sunday that she had not received certain military benefits as a surviving spouse.
“The Air Force recently told me that because we haven’t officially declared war, my kids and I aren’t eligible for some benefits,” Klinner wrote. “So, not only was my husband killed in a war he never wanted to participate in, but now the benefits we’re left with are being dictated by semantics and public perception.”
In a follow-up post Tuesday, Klinner said that the Air Force’s director of mortuary affairs had contacted her after the initial post to audit her benefits. She has not posted any updates about her benefits since.
The Air Force has reached out to Klinner, a spokesperson told the Daily Express, in order “to ensure she is receiving all eligible benefits she and her family are entitled to, as well as ensure all her questions are fully addressed.”
“We understand this matter has been difficult for Mrs. Klinner and her family, and we are committed to addressing her concerns with care and respect,” the spokesperson said. “We remain committed to providing clear information and continued support to Mrs. Klinner, as well as all the families of the Airmen who died in the KC-135 crash.”
Klinner’s husband is one of 18 U.S. service members who have been killed during the war with Iran. Another 757 people have been wounded, according to the Department of Defense. President Trump has mishandled the war, seemingly operating without a plan, and has stopped and restarted hostilities in order to make the dubious legal claim that the conflict hasn’t been one unceasing war but several small ones, in an effort to avoid accountability. If Klinner’s claim is true, it seems that this legal sleight of hand may also be to deny military benefits.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent has been charged by federal prosecutors with lying about the shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minnesota earlier this year.
The Associated Press, citing an unnamed source, reports that officer Christian Castro, who allegedly shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg during January’s Minneapolis crackdown, has been charged with making false statements to federal investigators.
The federal charges come after Castro was released from a Texas jail last week thanks to Republican Governor Greg Abbot’s refusal to sign an extradition order to Minnesota, where Castro faced separate charges of assault and false reporting related to the shooting.
The government tried to claim Sosa-Celis beat an officer with a broom handle and snow shovel but was forced to drop its charges against him after video evidence debunked its case. ProPublica reported earlier this week that the Department of Justice blocked federal prosecutors from bringing more serious civil rights charges, like those brought against the officers who killed George Floyd, against Castro.
The Associated Press reports that no final decision has been made regarding whether further charges will be brought against Castro. It’s a surprising move from the DOJ, considering how much the Trump administration has sought to protect ICE agents from prosecution. The DOJ still has not charged anyone over the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, two Minnesotans who were shot and killed by ICE agents as part of “Operation Metro Surge.”
In those cases, it may all be up to Minnesota authorities, who have received evidence from both killings from the federal government. But Minnesota may run into resistance, much like it did in its attempt to prosecute Castro. For now, though, Castro may soon have to go to federal court.
On Thursday, 33 Democrats joined Republicans to pass a law that would take federal funding away from academic institutions involved in any kind of boycott of or divestment from Israel. The legislation passed 237–169.
The Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act, headed by Republican Representative Virginia Foxx and Democratic Representative Josh Gottheimer, strips federal funding from any school that carries out a “nonexpressive commercial boycott” of Israel—like “refusals to deal” with it on a business level. Notably, the bill also applies to boycotts of institutions based in Israeli settlements.
