Militia members plotted to kidnap Michigan Gov. Whitmer, FBI says

Updated: 3 p.m.

The FBI says it has thwarted a plot by militia members to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and six people are facing federal charges. In a coordinated move, Michigan is pursuing state felony charges against seven people with ties to a militia called the Wolverine Watchmen.

Whitmer said two militia groups "were preparing to kidnap and possibly kill me."

"I'll be honest, I never could have imagined anything like this," Whitmer said, as she thanked law enforcement officers on Thursday afternoon for their actions.

It's not immediately clear who the second militia is that Whitmer referred to, or how the groups might have been coordinating in the alleged conspiracy.

Michigan has been a hotspot for disagreements over shutdowns and other restrictions Whitmer ordered in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus — actions that allegedly sparked the plot against her. The governor noted those disagreements on Thursday and called for unity.

"We are not one another's enemy," Whitmer said. "This virus is our enemy."

Criticizing President Trump's recent remarks on white supremacists, Whitmer said the president's widely criticized "stand back and stand by" comment about the Proud Boys was taken by hate groups as a rallying cry, not a rebuke.

"Let me say this loud and clear: Hatred, bigotry and violence have no place in the great state of Michigan," Whitmer said.

The FBI says the Michigan militia group had already been on its radar because its members had attempted in March to acquire the home addresses of local law enforcement officers, with the goal of attacking or killing them.

The agency says it collected information about the kidnapping plot from informants and undercover agents. Over the summer, the conspirators allegedly began training for a potential attack on Whitmer's vacation home or the governor's official summer residence, according to a criminal complaint released Thursday.

A federal charge of conspiracy to commit kidnapping has been filed against six people: Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta. All of them are Michigan residents except for Croft, who is a resident of Delaware.

Fox discussed the kidnapping in a recording from late July, the complaint states: "Snatch and grab, man. Grab the f*****' Governor. Just grab the b****. Because at that point, we do that, dude — it's over."

After abducting Whitmer, Fox allegedly said, the governor would be taken a secure location in Wisconsin for "trial," according to the complaint.

In addition to the six people facing federal charges, state charges have been lodged against another seven who are either members of Wolverine Watchmen or are associates of that militia, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel says. They're now facing 19 state felony charges that range from gang membership and providing material support for terrorist acts to charges of carrying a firearm during the commission of a felony.

"There has been a disturbing increase in anti-government rhetoric and the re-emergence of groups that embrace extremist ideologies," Nessel said on Thursday. "These groups often seek to recruit new members by seizing on a moment of civil unrest and using it to advance their agenda of self-reliance and armed resistance. 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."

Michigan's Capitol building in Lansing was the epicenter of dramatic protests during the spring and summer, with protesters — including many who carried rifles — gathering to denounce her coronavirus emergency orders. Whitmer and other officials were also the targeted by online threats.

"We have legislators who are showing up to work wearing bulletproof vests," Whitmer said in May.

The alleged kidnapping conspiracy is described in the complaint signed by FBI Special Agent Richard J. Trask, whose past work includes fighting domestic terrorism.

"In early 2020, the FBI became aware through social media that a group of individuals were discussing the violent overthrow of certain government and law-enforcement components," Trask says in the complaint.

The group included Fox and Croft – who decided they should get others to join their cause and "take violent action against multiple state governments that they believe are violating the U.S. Constitution," Trask says.

In early June, Fox and Croft met with around 13 people in Dublin, Ohio, the complaint says.

"The group talked about creating a society that followed the U.S. Bill of Rights and where they could be self-sufficient. They discussed different ways of achieving this goal from peaceful endeavors to violent actions," the complaint says. "At one point, several members talked about state governments they believed were violating the U.S. Constitution, including the government of Michigan and Whitmer. Several members talked about murdering 'tyrants' or 'taking' a sitting governor."

Once again, the decision was made to recruit others into the effort, Trask says in the complaint. That's when Fox reached out to a Michigan-based militia group, he adds. One of the group's members had already been in touch with the FBI over their concerns about plans to target and kill police officers.

With a new conspiracy allegedly taking shape, that person agreed to become an informant, the complaint says.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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