Murtha, a former Marine, used his congressional immunity as his defense, arguing that he made those statements to the press in his official capacity as a member of Congress. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on Tuesday ruled that Wuterich can’t sue Murtha…

Despite the ruling, Murtha has infuriated Marines across the country with his accusations. Thousands of people have signed a petition to strip Murtha of a recent Navy award for distinguished public service that the lawmaker received in early March. Those who signed the online petition are calling on Murtha to apologize for his comments or for the Navy to take away the award.