WHITMERKIDNAPPLOTFOILED
13 charged in shocking scheme to make governor stand ‘trial’ for treason in kangaroo court
Six men have been charged by federal law enforcement authorities with plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchenwhitmer at her Elk Rapids vacation home as well as attacking police, according to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday and unsealed Thursday in federal court.
Seven others, all Michigan residents have been charged in state courts.
The 13men weremembers of various domestic terrorism, or militia, groups.
The FBI investigation, which involved multiple confidential sources and undercover FBI personnel, has been ongoing since the spring. The investigation revealed the militia’s activities included two surveillances of the governor’s northern Michigan vacation home this summer. Discussions were underway to kidnap Whitmer to a remote location in Wisconsin to stand “trial” for treason prior to the Nov. 3 election.
For months, the men plotted, consulted and trained, which involved firearms and the testing of explosives and tactical drills, with militia members while undertaking rehearsals in August and September, according to the complaint. Four of the six men planned to meet Wednesday to
“make a payment on explosives and exchange tactical gear,” the FBI said in the court filing.
Court documents identify the defendants as Adam Fox, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris, and Brandon Caserta, all of Michigan, and Barry Croft of Delaware. Those same court documents reveal that FBI offi
cials did not believe there to have been an imminent threat posed to Whitmer.
Under federal law, each faces any term of years up to life in prison if convicted.
Gov. Whitmer said the militia groups were preparing to kidnap her and “possibly kill” her. She also thanked the “fearless” state and federal law enforcement officials for putting themselves in harms way and pursuing charges to keep her family safe.
She called the 13 individuals charged with allegedly plotting to kidnap her “sick” and “depraved,” who she hopes will be brought to justice.
“When I put my hand on the Bible and took the oath of office 22 months ago, I knew this job would be hard but I’ll be honest, I never could have imagined anything like this,” she said. “As a mom with two teenage daughters and three stepsons, my husband and I are eternally grateful to everyone who put themselves
in harms way to keep our family safe.”
At a meeting in July, allegedly attended and recorded by one of the confidential sources, the men “discussed attacking a Michigan State Police facility, and in a separate conversation after themeeting, Garbin suggested shooting up the Governor’s vacation home,” authorities allege, according to court documents.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said Thursday there has been a disturbing increase in antigovernment rhetoric and the re-emergence of groups that embrace extremist ideologies.
“These groups often seek to recruit new members by seizing onamoment of civil unrest and using it to advance their agenda of selfreliance and armed resistance,” she said. “This is more than just political disagreement or passionate advocacy, some of these groups’ mission is simply to create chaos and inflict harm upon others.”
According to court documents, Fox said he needed 200 men to storm the Cap
itol building in Lansing and take hostages, including Whitmer, and that he wanted to try Whitmer for “treason” and would execute the plan before the Nov. 3 election, according to FBI officials. Later, however, the group shifted to targeting the governor’s vacation home.
The FBI also quoted one of the accused as saying Whitmer “has no checks and balances at all. She has uncontrolled power right now. All good things must come to an end.”
Matthew Schneider, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, said all of us can disagree about politics, but those differences should never result in violence.
“The allegations in this complaint are deeply disturbing,” he said. “We owe our thanks to themen and women of law enforcement who uncovered this plot and have worked so hard to protect Governorwhitmer.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Whitmer has been praised but also deeply criticized for the state’s response to the coronavirus. She put ma
jor restrictions on personal movement throughout the state and on the economy, although many of those limits have been lifted. The criminal complaint did not mention those orders.
Last week, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled 4-3 invalidating Whitmer’s use of her emergency powers since April 30. MDHHS has since issued epidemic orders to reinstate major aspects of her previous executive orders aimed at protectingmichiganders from the spread of COVID-19.
The government said the scheme appeared to have roots in a June gathering in Dublin, Ohio, attended by more than a dozen people from several states, including Croft and Fox.
“The group talked about creating a society that followed the U.S. Bill of Rights and where they could be self-sufficient,” the FBI affidavit said. “They discussed different ways of achieving this goal from peaceful endeavors to violent actions... Several members talked about murdering ‘ tyrants’ or ‘ taking’ a sitting governor.”