Former Navy SEAL acquitted of killing ISIS prisoner says Dan Crenshaw tried to ‘keep me in prison’

Retired United States Navy SEAL Chief Eddie Gallagher recently opened up about how his requests for help from brother-in-arms Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) were met, and it’s not a good look.

In 2018, Gallagher was being held in pre-trial confinement after being charged for war crimes and the premeditated murder of an ISIS prisoner in Iraq with whom he had then posed for a photo. While he would later go on to be acquitted and ultimately pardoned by then-President Donald Trump, Gallagher began a nearly 12-minute video by stating he felt “compelled to come out now and speak the truth” about Crenshaw.

The now-viral video that has been shared by thousands, including Crenshaw’s primary challenger Jameson Ellis, runs through the empty promises that had been delivered after Gallagher and his allies sought aid from the “one name [that] kept popping up. That was Dan Crenshaw.”

“Dan told them, he’ll see what he can do,” Gallagher explained when teammates from his deployment confronted the congressman in person. He went on to recount how his brother had sent the lawmaker a “semi-scathing email, calling him out for being a politician and not being part of the brotherhood and not supporting a fellow SEAL.”

Crenshaw allegedly replied again that he would see what he could do. However, with receipts provided in a link to a Google Drive file, Gallagher pointed out how 50 congressmen would go on to sign a petition seeking his release that he may properly defend himself, “One congressman would not sign that petition. That was Dan Crenshaw.”

“Instead, he decided to write his own petition and pretty much say, to keep me in prison, but just to let me see my lawyers,” the SEAL explained.

The March 18, 2019 letter, submitted prior to the request for release, stated in part, “Chief Gallagher’s family and friends have reported that he has not had sufficient access to his defense counsel…Given the gravity and complexity of the charges against him, Chief Gallagher’s ability to meaningfully participate in the preparation of his defense is crucial.”

After being found not guilty, Gallagher said he made eye contact with Crenshaw at a Turning Point event where the congressman lowered his gaze and sped past, an encounter he chalked up to politics, “So I just let it go.”

However, when the SEAL took a trip to Congress to thank those who had signed the petition for his release, he described being pulled aside by several and told, “Dan Crenshaw was actively working against me, behind the scenes. He was going up to each of those congressmen…telling them not to support me, that I was guilty and that it was his community and they need to butt out and let him handle it.”

“He was doing this to climb the political ladder,” Gallagher went on after equating Crenshaw’s actions as no less than trying to kill him via life in prison. “If Dan Crenshaw is willing to lie to gain favor with other politicians to climb that political ladder and pretty much throw somebody away for life, what do you think he’s doing to the American people?”

Adding further support to his claims, Gallagher provided a screenshot of a message that Crenshaw had sent to fellow retired SEAL David Goggins. “I had no idea about any of that sh*t with that Team 6 guy making YouTube videos about you and all that,” the congressman reportedly wrote. “Again, sorry if I made it seem like I was ever in that category. I am not.”

“I wouldn’t have tried to get you to speak at my events if I didn’t respect you and your message. Like you, I’ve been in the public eye since about 2018 and understand very well how people will climb over your back to get higher, get more clicks, get a little more famous. Pieces of sh*t like Eddie Gallagher have tried to do that at my expense (after I tried helping him get out of prison!) That should never happen between team guys. God bless and happy new year,” the message concluded.

Image: Google Drive

According to Gallagher, the message was sent from Crenshaw after the congressman had appeared on a podcast badmouthing Goggins. “He’ll say whatever it takes to get people on his side, and then do the opposite behind the scenes. This has been a repeating pattern of his since he’s been in office.”

“Just because someone is a Navy SEAL, or because they were wounded in combat, does not make them a good person; does not mean they have character. I want you to think about that next time you vote,” the retired chief said.

At the time of this post, Crenshaw had not commented on the accusations from Gallagher who concluded, “Dan, if you want to have a conversation, I’ll be in DC next week actually doing real work to support our brothers in the teams; and our law enforcement; and our first responders. So if you wanna have a conversation, you know where to find me buddy.”

Kevin Haggerty

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