Army Veteran Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Charges for Flag Burning Protest Near White House

Jan Carey, a 54-year-old Army veteran from North Carolina, pleaded not guilty to two federal misdemeanor charges after burning an American flag near the White House in protest of President Donald Trump's executive order targeting flag burning. Carey was charged not with flag burning itself, which the Supreme Court has ruled is protected political expression, but with igniting a fire in an undesignated area and causing damage to property or park resources in Lafayette Park. The executive order, signed by President Trump, directs the Justice Department to investigate and prosecute flag desecration if it incites imminent lawless action or constitutes fighting words, and also threatens visa revocations for foreign nationals involved. Carey, who served over 20 years in the Army and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, stated he burned the flag to protest what he called an illegal fascist president and to defend First Amendment rights. The case is being closely watched as Carey’s lawyers plan to file a motion to dismiss on constitutional grounds, arguing the charges represent an attempt by the Trump administration to stifle free speech and dissent. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office, appointed by Trump, maintains the charges are based on laws prohibiting fires on federal property, not the act of burning the flag itself.