CINCINNATI — The U.S. Marine Corps and defense attorneys for Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller agreed to delay an Initial Officer Review hearing until next week, according to the Pipe Hitter Foundation, an organization founded by controversial former Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher to raise legal defense funds for members of the military. An IRO review is held before a military court martial.
WCPO: Local Marine detained after critical social media remarks
"The delay will allow both parties to seek a joint resolution of the matter," the foundation stated in an Instagram post. "Lt. Col. Scheller said he was willing to continue his time in the brig in order to provide peace of mind to the command while allowing for negotiations to secure an honorable departure."
The University of Cincinnati and Anderson High School graduate has been detained at Camp LeJeune in Jacksonville, N.C., since Monday. The detainment came after he posted a video on his Facebook page critical of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
According to an article by the New York Post on Saturday, a fund to pay for Scheller's legal costs has raised $2 million from 27,000 donors.
WCPO's Kristyn Hartman reported on Friday that Scheller was accused of violating the following articles:
- Contempt toward officials
- Willfully disobeying a superior commissioned officer
- Failure to obey an order
- Conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, in a statement to WCPO, supported Scheller's position for demanding accountability for mistakes made during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, including the deaths of 13 military members.
"Lt. Colonel Scheller's calls for accountability are warranted in the wake of the poor strategic decisions that contributed to the deaths of 13 service members," Portman's statement said.
Portman said he told Marine Corps leadership on Friday that he thinks Scheller should be released from the brig.
The Marine Corps sent a statement to WCPO on Friday, but didn't address why it was holding Scheller in the brig pre-trial. The Marine Corps did say it has yet to file charges in the case.
