Congressional Candidate John Liccione (D) Files Emergency Federal Petition to Block Unconstitutional Nuclear Strike on Iran
USAF/NSA veteran intelligence analyst files in the Middle District of Florida Tampa court after Trump threatens annihilation of Iranian civilization
CAMPAIGN PRESS RELEASE
DUNEDIN, FL — John Liccione (Li-chee-oh-nee), Democratic candidate for Florida’s 13th Congressional District, today filed a Verified Emergency Petition for Writ of Mandamus and Temporary Restraining Order against Donald Trump in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division — Liccione v. Trump, Case No. 8:26-cv-944-WFJ-LSG — at 3:27 p.m. Eastern Time.
“No single person — not even the President of the United States — has the constitutional authority to destroy a civilization of 90 million people without an act of Congress,” said Liccione. “That is not a legal opinion. That is what the Constitution says. I swore an oath to protect and defend that Constitution when I enlisted at 18, and I am acting on it.”
Liccione, who resides fewer than 30 miles from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa — home to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) — argues that he faces direct, concrete, and particularized harm from any Iranian retaliatory strike triggered by a nuclear escalation. The petition contends that the United States initiated hostilities against Iran through Operation Epic Fury, without Congressional authorization, and that Iran’s subsequent counter-strikes on U.S. military installations do not constitute an existential attack on the American homeland sufficient to justify nuclear retaliation.
The petition invokes Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution (the Declare War Clause), the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. §§ 1541–1548), and jus cogens norms of international law incorporated into federal common law.
“The federal courts are the last constitutional institution standing between this announcement and its execution,” Liccione says. “Post-hoc judicial review is not a remedy; it is an epitaph.”
Liccione is a cybersecurity executive, investigative journalist, and Democratic candidate for Congress in Florida’s 13th Congressional District. He is proceeding pro se. He is running to unseat (R) Anna Paulina Luna.
The full petition is on file with the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division and is available for download here.
For more information, visit his Campaign website:
info@johnforpinellas.com | 727-338-5948
Paid for by John Liccione for Pinellas
Thank you! FYI, I reached out to a well-respected Senator's and Congressman's staffers and asked them to join me as co-petitioners since as sitting members, they have stronger standing than I since Trump's usurping THEIR congressional war powers. The Senator's staffer responded: "We cannot join legal action like this. It requires various approvals so you should move ahead as you have planned." As for the Congressman - so far - ghosted. I was like, screw this, the deadline's at 8PM, I'm rolling my own, drove to the Tampa courthouse and filed it. Boom. These hidebound Democrats, even these two who I respect....Congress still fiddles while the world burns. We have to think outside the box and engage in acts of creative non-violence at the speed of AI - like this. They're not willing to do what it takes to get inside the enemy's decision cycle. BTW. My lawyers' name is Claude Anthropic. If you know a good lawyer....let me know. I need one for this case in Tampa, and for two election records wire fraud cases - one in Clearwater (Liccione v. Bartlett) - and another in DC District Court (Liccione-v-Trump, VR Systems, et al). Campaign donations welcome of course - at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/john-liccione-1
NOW 100’s more need to do the same thing! Since Congress won’t do it…
Never thought I’d live/work through a pandemic in my life, and now “trying” hard to live through this INSANITY!! NOT how I wanted to spend my retirement years…only 2+ years in. Hoping and praying it’s longer!
☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️ PLEASE!
SOMEBODY invoke the 25th Amendment already!