Sen. Cruz Urges Secretary of State to Prevent Auctioning of U.S. Medal of Honor

HOUSTON, Texas - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging him to use the voice and influence of the United States to prevent a Munich firm from auctioning off a U.S. Medal of Honor, which is scheduled to take place later this week according to the auction site.

In the letter, he wrote:

"The sale harms the dignity and honor of all recipients of the Medal of Honor. The Congress and the United States have long sought to prevent such affronts, and indeed 18 U.S. Code § 704 authorizes fines and imprisonment when those sales occur within our jurisdiction.

"I urgently call on you to work with the U.S.'s foreign partners, including with officials of the Federal Republic of Germany, to ensure the sale is suspended."

The letter can be read here and below.

May 26, 2020

The Honorable Michael R. Pompeo
Secretary of State
Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Pompeo,

I write to urge you to use the voice and influence of the United States to prevent the reported planned auctioning on May 28 of a Medal of Honor by the German auction house Hermann Historica GmbH in Munich, Germany. The medal had been awarded to Private Thomas Kelly of Company H, 21st U.S. Infantry, for gallantry in action during the Spanish-American War at Santiago, Cuba, July 1, 1898, for racing into fire to rescue and recover fellow service members.

The sale harms the dignity and honor of all recipients of the Medal of Honor. The Congress and the United States have long sought to prevent such affronts, and indeed 18 U.S. Code § 704 authorizes fines and imprisonment when those sales occur within our jurisdiction.

In this context, I urgently call on you to work with the U.S.'s foreign partners, including with officials of the Federal Republic of Germany, to ensure the sale is suspended.

Sincerely,

/s/

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