AG Nessel: Governor was aware of plot against her

LANSING» Law enforcement took steps to protect Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her family as authorities tracked the men who allegedly plotted for months to kidnap her, the state’s attorney general said Friday.

Dana Nessel disclosed the detail to “CBS This Morning .” She said the Democratic governor was consistently updated about the investigation over the past couple months.

“She was aware of things that were happening,” Nessel said. “At times, she and her family had been moved around as a result of activities that law enforcement was aware of.”

Authorities announced Thursday that they foiled a stunning plot to kidnap Whitmer in a scheme that involved months of planning and even rehearsals to snatch her from her vacation home before the Nov. 3 elections. Whitmer’s first term as governor does not end until 2022.

Six men were charged in federal court with conspiring to kidnap the governor in reaction to what they viewed as her “uncontrolled power,” according to a federal complaint. Separately, seven others linked to a paramilitary group called the Wolverine Watchmen were charged in state court for allegedly seeking to storm the Michigan Capitol and seek a“civil war,” including four who allegedly helped to surveil Whitmer’s house.

The two groups trained together and planned “various acts of violence,” according to the state police.

Surveillance for the kidnapping plot took place in August and September, according to an FBI affidavit, and four of the men had planned to meet Wednesday to “make a payment on explosives and exchange tactical gear.”

“We thought it was time to move in before anybody lost their lives,” Nessel said.

Whitmer, who was considered as Biden’s running mate, has been widely praised for her response to the coronavirus but also sharply criticized by Republican lawmakers and people in conservative areas of the state. The Capitol has been the site of many rallies, including ones with gun-toting protesters calling for her ouster.

The FBI quoted one of themen accused of conspiring to kidnap Whitmer as saying she “has no checks and balances at all. She has uncontrolled power right now. All good things must come to an end.” That same man, Adam Fox, who was described as one of the leaders in the alleged plot, livestreamed a video to a private Facebook group “inwhich he complained about the judicial systemand the state controlling the opening of gyms,” according to the federal complaint.