NEWS PROVIDED BY
Pray In Jesus Name
July 30, 2026
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., July 30, 2026 /Standard Newswire/ — Today U.S. Navy lawyers are hiding from President Trump and SECWAR Hegseth, a formal application for Presidential Pardon, submitted seven months and again four months ago by former Navy Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt, PhD. They also just violated federal law and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), by withholding for more than 20 business days, a public request for information (proof available on request.)
Twenty years ago in 2006, then U.S. Navy Chaplain LT Gordon Klingenschmitt contested a bad Navy prayer policy SECNAVINST 1730.7C, which forbid Christian Chaplains from using the name of Jesus in their public prayers, and required only “non-sectarian” prayer language in uniform in public. One Chaplain took a courageous stand by praying in Jesus’ name, in uniform on Thursday near the White House, violated the prayer policy, and demanded his own misdemeanor court-martial. In a trial at Naval Station Norfolk in September 2006, Navy Judge Lewis Booker then ruled that “public worship” had been re-defined by the same policy as only safe inside a Sunday chapel, but now “worshiping in public” could be punished as a crime, finding the chaplain guilty of disobeying “lawful” orders. The guilty verdict was published in 500 newspapers.
But then God intervened. One week later, after much public outrage and two polls showing 85% to 94% public approval for the Chaplain, after he submitted 300,000 petitions to Congress (with Dr. Jay Sekulow, Dr. Alan Keyes, Dr. D. James Kennedy), so many Christian telephone callers melted Capitol Hill switchboards, that Armed Services Chairman Senator John Warner (R-VA) made a speech on the U.S. Senate floor on 19 Sep 2006 stating he was overwhelmed by calls, and ordering the Navy to repent. Congress then amended the NDAA to order the Navy to rescind the same bad prayer policy for which Klingenschmitt had been punished. In October, then SECNAV Donald C. Winter rescinded it, restoring Chaplains’ right to pray publicly, in Jesus’ name. Religious freedom was restored, but Klingenschmitt lost his 16-year officer career and a million-dollar pension. A subsequent lawsuit was denied by an Obama appointed Lesbian judge. The Supreme Court denied cert, but ruled in 2015 that others may pray in Jesus’ name.
Today in July 2026, Navy lawyers are hiding Chaplain Klingenschmitt’s pardon request from President Trump and SECWAR Pete Hegseth for over four months, blocking and declining to forward it to the President’s office of pardon attorney in the Department of Justice.
In December of 2025, Chaplain Klingenschmitt mailed certified letters to the Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Deputy SECWAR Steve Feinberg, UnderSECWAR Anthony Tata, UnderSECAF Matt Lohmeier, but their staffers declined to forward it for consideration. On March 29, 2026, he sent by certified mail the full pardon request to Navy TJAG, with no response in four months.
Then on 29 June and previously, FOIA requests have been ignored and denied by both Navy TJAG Code 20 (Pardons) and Code 14 (Appeals), well beyond their 20 working-day legal mandate to respond for requested information. Emails to Navy Public Affairs have now gone unanswered.
The Navy’s spokesman is available for media questions here: https://www.facebook.com/kristinawongreporting.
For interviews please contact: Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt PhD, 719.360.5132, chaplaingate@yahoo.com, Pardon documents available upon request.
SOURCE Pray In Jesus Name