Plot To Kidnap Whitmer Horrifies State

An anti-government terrorism group's plan to kidnap and possibly kill Governor in retaliation for her management of the COVID-19 crisis sent shockwaves through the state government community and at large Thursday.

In foiling the plot and charging 13 men, law enforcement halted the apparent most serious criminal threat to a Michigan governor since a man walked into then-Governor George Romney's office in 1964 armed with a gun and a knife.

According to the criminal complaint filed at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, several of the men discussed their desire to kill the governor.

The plans initially talked of having 200 men storm the Capitol to kidnap the governor and take hostages, using "Molotov cocktails" to destroy police vehicles or attacking a Department of State Police facility, shooting up the governor's Elk Rapids vacation home and then eventually concentrated on the Elk Rapids home.

"Snatch and grab, man," Adam Fox allegedly said in a recording of a July 27 meeting at his business. "Grab the fuckin' Governor. Just grab the bitch. Because at that point, we do that, dude – it's over."

There was utter shock and horror about the plot.

"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," Ms. Whitmer said in a speech broadcast from her Capitol office. "As a mom with two teenage daughters and three stepsons, my husband and I are eternally grateful to everyone who put themselves in harm's way to keep our family safe."

That was only compounded with the revelation that three of the 13 charged were among the armed people in the Senate gallery on April 30, first reported by WXYZ-TV. It appeared several others were on the Capitol grounds that day as well. While there was shock, it was merely the most brazen and likely most serious in a series of threats and violent invective against Ms. Whitmer since the pandemic began. A man was charged earlier this year with threatening to kill Ms. Whitmer and Attorney General (Robert Tesh is scheduled for a preliminary examination in the Wayne Circuit Court January 5).

There also was the scene earlier this year at the Capitol when armed men openly carrying weapons screamed at Department of State Police troopers guarding the doors to the Michigan House and hectored senators from the Senate gallery above the Senate floor. At the same demonstration, a man brought a naked doll of a woman in a noose and said it was Ms. Whitmer. There have been additional demonstrations at the Capitol featuring members of the Proud Boys, a white supremacist group with a history of violence.

The revelation of the plot also prompted an outpouring of rage from Democrats toward those Republicans, specifically Senate Majority Leader (R-Clarklake), who have used words like "dictator" to describe the governor or other incendiary terms (see separate story) and renewed calls to ban firearms from the Capitol (see separate story).

Ms. Whitmer told CNN Thursday night the plot was brought to her attention in "recent weeks."

By Thursday evening, a group of several dozen supporters had put large letters spelling out "Big Gretch" on the Capitol lawn.

Ms. Whitmer appeared a mixture of stunned, furious and resolute, mixed with relief and gratitude that police and prosecutors had thwarted the plot to "kidnap and possibly kill me."

The law enforcement operation involved both confidential informants and undercover FBI agents.

Ms. Whitmer said the charges – against six principal defendants in federal court and seven others seen as aiding the plot in state court – "hopefully will lead to convictions bringing these sick and depraved men to justice."

For the first six months of the pandemic, Ms. Whitmer through executive orders kept a variety of businesses closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. One of the last she cleared to reopen were gyms. The criminal complaint alleges the gym closures in particular riled one of the men plotting to kidnap her. Ms. Whitmer said she knows the pain of missed graduation ceremonies, weddings, funerals and other events as well as the fear among small business owners struggling to hang on, but everything she has done has been to save lives.

"As painful as these losses are, our hard work and sacrifices have saved thousands of lives," she said. "I want the people of Michigan to know this: As your governor, I will never stop doing everything in my power to keep you and your family safe. You don't have to agree with me, but I do ask one thing: Never forget that we are all in this together. Let's show a little kindness and a lot more empathy. Let's give one another a little grace and let's take care of each other."

The revelation that the group used a gun rights rally at the Capitol in June to try recruit participants as well as the initial concept of having 200 men storm the Capitol also sent shudders down the Capitol community's collective spine.

"This is my workplace," Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Troy) tweeted. "My team's workplace. They wanted to storm this building and take hostages."

Kelsey Snyder, daughter of former Governor Rick Snyder, tweeted that she teared up watching Ms. Whitmer's news conference.

"I remember frantically scrolling twitter seeing death threats and hate against my father," she said. "These politicians are HUMAN. They have families. Several years later reminiscing makes me feel sick. We must do better."

Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, in an interview, would not say exactly when the governor was made aware of the plot, saying he did not want to get into the specifics of the investigation. He would only say law enforcement has been looking into it for at least a couple months.

A briefing was given "at the highest level" that law enforcement was about to act and announce its actions, Mr. Gilchrist said.

"The attitude in our office and amongst our staff is this is a terrible thing and we should not attempt to label it otherwise, however we all know we have important work to do and we have to continue to do that," Mr. Gilchrist said when asked how Ms. Whitmer, he and the Executive Office staff were grappling with the day's revelations.

Personally, Mr. Gilchrist said he was disgusted, but unsurprised. When you mix terrorists with white supremacism, guns and misogyny, "this is what you get," he said.

Mr. Gilchrist said he was "just thankful for the vigilance of the law enforcement professionals."

Mr. Gilchrist said he was unsure if incident will change how he and the governor interact with public.

"We have the benefit of having very capable law enforcement professional who take their jobs very seriously and take our safety very seriously," he said. When asked if the governor would be receiving enhanced security for her or her family members, or if security evaluations were being considered at her vacation home in Elk Rapids or the governor's official summer residence on Mackinac Island, Shanon Banner, Department of State Police public affairs manager, said the department does not discuss executive protection consistent with regular protocol.

"I can say that we consistently review security measures and make adjustments whenever needed," Ms. Banner said in an email.

Asked how Ms. Whitmer was doing amid the news, Mr. Gilchrist said: "She's a tough woman. None of that changes with this situation." 13 Charged In Gov Kidnapping Plot; AG Says It May Be 'Tip Of The Iceberg'

While 13 men in total have been charged at both the state and federal level for their involvement in a foiled plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer from her northern Michigan vacation home and try her for "treason," Attorney General Dana Nessel said she believes this plot could be "the tip of the iceberg."

"I'm worried about additional threats. …This may very well be the tip of the iceberg," Ms. Nessel said, speaking to MSNBC on Thursday. "I don't feel as though our work or the work of the federal authorities is complete, and I think there are still dangerous individuals that are out there. And it is a point of great concern."

Officials – including Ms. Nessel and the U.S. attorneys for the Western and Eastern districts – held a news briefing earlier Thursday, detailing the conspiracy at a press conference. Ms. Nessel said hundreds of law enforcement officers working across agencies and state lines were involved in the operation to stop the plot.

The court document, unsealed Thursday, describes a plan that took shape over many months beginning in early 2020. The complaint points to six men – Adam Fox, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Castera, all from Michigan, and Delaware native Barry Croft – but describes other were involved as well.

Those men were later revealed to be Paul Bellar, 21, of Milford; Shawn Fix, 38, of Belleville; Eric Molitor, 26, of Cadillac; Michael Null, 38, of Plainwell; William Null, 38, of Shelbyville; Pete Musico, 42, of Munith and; Joseph Morrison, 42, also of Munith.

The federal charges will be prosecuted in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan. The Michigan Department of Attorney General will be pursuing state charges against Mr. Bellar, Mr. Fix, Mr. Molitor, Mr. William Null, Mr. Musico, Mr. Michael Null and Mr. Morrison. The announcement of the charges came at a virtually unheard of joint news conference with Ms. Nessel, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Birge and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Matthew Schneider. That was because the scope of the plot was so vast. Search warrants and arrest warrants were executed in Cadillac, Canton, Charlotte, Clarkston, Grand Rapids, Luther, Munith, Orion Township, Ovid, Portage, Shelby Township and Waterford.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids in the federal cases. Four of the state cases were filed in Antrim County, and the other three were filed in Jackson County. Mr. Birge's office will take the lead in the federal cases.

"Federal and state law enforcement are committed to working together to make sure violent extremists never succeed with their plans, particularly when they target our duly elected leaders," Mr. Birge said.

The seven men charged in state court have already been taken into custody and charged with a cumulative 19 state felony charges. They are believed to be known members or associates of the anti-government terrorist group Wolverine Watchmen, of which Mr. Morrison and Mr. Musico are believed to be the co-founders.

That group specifically, a Department of State Police affidavit suggests, was interested preparing for the "boogaloo," a term referencing a violent uprising against the government or impending politically motivated civil war. These trainings were believed to be led by Mr. Fox.

The six charged at the federal level are accused of surveiling Ms. Whitmer's vacation home in Elk Rapids during the day at the end of August and attempted to plan how long it would take law enforcement to reach the residence if they took the governor.

In a subsequent electronic messaging chat, one of the conspirators discussed blowing up a nearby bridge to hinder police response. In mid-September, the men surveilled the home again over two days. More individuals were involved in this surveillance and multiple cars, including at least one with a dashcam, were used.

From the document, it appears Ms. Whitmer's actions related to COVID-19 were a motivating factor for the men allegedly seeking the kidnap the governor and try her for "treason."

"She fucking goddamn loves the power she has right now," the document quotes one of the men as saying. "She has no checks and balances at all. She has uncontrolled power right now."

The plot included a group meeting in Dublin, Ohio, in June 2020. The plan originally contemplated kidnapping the governor from the Capitol or her residence in Lansing before shifting to the vacation residence.

At the Ohio meeting, per court documents, 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. At one point, several members talked about state governments they believed were violating the U.S. Constitution, including the and Governor Gretchen Whitmer."

Additionally, several members allegedly talked about murdering "tyrants" or "taking" a sitting governor. The plan originally started with the idea of having "200 men" storm the Capitol to take the governor and then try her for "treason," but later evolved into attempting to abduct the governor from her vacation home and move her to a "secure location in Wisconsin for 'trial.'"

"Snatch and grab, man. Grab the fuckin' Governor," Mr. Fox is quoted as saying in the court document. "Just grab the bitch. Because at that point, we do that, dude – it's over."

On August 29 and 30, then again on September 12 and 13, the group did surveil Ms. Whitmer's vacation home in Elk Rapids. An MSP affidavit indicated Mr. Michael Null, Mr. Adam Null, Mr. Fix and Mr. Molitor all aided in surveying Ms. Whitmer's home.

They also inspected the underside of a bridge on the M-31 highway, where it is believed the group hoped to plant explosives there to slow a police response, and later bought an 800,000-volt taser that was intended to be used during the kidnapping. It is believed the group wanted to go forward with the attempt sometime prior to the November 3 election.

The complaint also says the men described met with militia group members several times in June 2020. It also describes several meetings in Michigan and Wisconsin where members participated in firearms training and combat drills. The men also allegedly intended on using explosives in their plan.

The conspirators also allegedly communicated through encrypted online platforms and used code words or phrases to describe their plans. At one point, the men involved were asked to bring personal documents to confirm their identities as concerns grew about law enforcement infiltrating the group.

Ms. Nessel, during the conference Thursday, said the felony charges involve terroristic activities like attacking police, the Capitol and kidnapping Ms. Whitmer. The state charges range from providing material support for terrorist acts, gang membership, carrying or possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony and the threat of terrorism.

A request for comment on why none of the 13 were charged with attempting to kill the governor was not returned in time for publication.

In her interview with MSNBC following the press conference, Ms. Nessel did not say how close these individuals were to making their planned attack a reality.

"We were obviously concerned these activities could take place at any time and my perspective is this: I would rather have a weak conspiracy case than the strongest homicide case," Ms. Nessel said. "That being the case, of course, we had substantial evidence in this case. We're not just talking about a bunch of guys sitting around and talking about something – we're talking about a number of overt actions moving towards these actual plots."

State Police Director Joe Gasper called the case one of the largest in which the department has been involved.

"The nature of this case is rather unprecedented," he said. Dems: GOP Rhetoric Enables Terrorists Plotting Harm To Whitmer

Governor Gretchen Whitmer and other Democratic officials said Republican discourse related to COVID-19 orders and the president's comments on hate groups helped fan the flames for groups like the one revealed Thursday, which plotted to kidnap the governor and try her for treason – a "trial" that would presumably lead to the governor's murder.

Republican leaders and lawmakers strongly condemned the detailed plot from anti-government terrorists to attempt to kidnap Ms. Whitmer from her northern vacation home. Still, some GOP officials and advocacy groups have also spent the last seven months calling Ms. Whitmer a dictator, a queen and someone power hungry for her emergency orders related to the pandemic.

While House Speaker (R-Levering) and Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R- Clarklake) both issued statements condemning violence threatened against the governor \both then spoke at a rally outside the Capitol to a group called Stand Up Michigan, which seeks to "reclaim and defend the rights and liberties of we the people of Michigan."

The group on its Facebook page also condemned the actions of the men who sought to put together a detailed plan of attack on the governor, but the comments on that post were filled with conspiracy theories.

"If the group she is accusing of doing this actually had planned this Whitmer would not be addressing it / this a sick and perverse way of trying to get the sympathy from the people before she takes her next move to suppress them," one person wrote.

Others also questioned the legitimacy of the charges, which were announced by the Department of Attorney General and the FBI. Some thanked law enforcement for foiling the plot.

Spokespersons for Mr. Chatfield and Mr. Shirkey did not return requests for comment on if the rhetoric that has circulated since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic went too far.

President Donald Trump has come under heavy criticism for refusing to condemn white supremacist groups, most recently in the presidential debate with Democratic challenger Joe Biden. In that debate, he advised the Proud Boys to "stand back and stand by," and Ms. Whitmer castigated Mr. Trump. "Our head of state has spent the past seven months denying science, ignoring his own health experts, stoking distrust, fomenting anger and giving comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division," she said in a Thursday speech broadcast hours after the revelation of the plot. "Just last week, the president of the United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn white supremacists and hate groups like these two Michigan militia groups. 'Stand back and stand by,' he told them. 'Stand back and stand by.' Hate groups heard the president's words not as a rebuke but as a rallying cry, as a call to action. When our leaders speak, their words matter, they carry weight."

Ms. Whitmer also blasted any elected officials playing footsie with groups calling themselves militias and using similar language as them, words like "dictator," for example. Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II made clear Ms. Whitmer was calling out Mr. Shirkey who met in the Senate gallery with some of those who crowded the Senate gallery on April 30, bearing arms, and shouting at senators below. He later termed demonstrators engaging in intimidation of senators "jackasses."

Detroit News photos do not show any of the suspects in the group with which Mr. Shirkey met in the gallery.

"When our leaders meet with, encourage or fraternize with domestic terrorists they legitimize their actions, and they are complicit," Ms. Whitmer said. "When they stoke and contribute to hate speech, they are complicit."

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany slammed the governor's statements.

"President Trump has continually condemned white supremacists and all forms of hate. Governor Whitmer is sowing division by making these outlandish allegations," she said in a statement. "America stands united against hate and in support of our federal law enforcement who stopped this plot."

This year has seen increased activities from fringe groups at the Capitol. In April, militia members opposing the governor's COVID-19 orders came to the Capitol and aggressively protested with many screaming outside the House chamber as its members were upset with House sergeants. Others with long guns sat and stood in the Senate gallery. Democratic lawmakers in both chambers said they felt threatened that day.

It was also later revealed by WXYZ-TV in Detroit – and confirmed later by the Department of Attorney general's office – that three of the men arrested Thursday were in the Senate gallery with guns that day, and Sen. (D-Livonia) took a photograph of them looking onto the chamber's floor.

Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, in a searing Facebook post released just after Ms. Whitmer's speech, said Mr. Shirkey's conduct emboldened and enabled the plot.

"Instead of standing tall and telling these racists, misogynists, and bigots that they had no place in the people's House, instead of taking action to ban guns in the state capitol, which people only brought in to intimidate lawmakers, what did the Senate Majority Leader do? He walked up to the gallery," Mr. Gilchrist wrote. "And he talked to them as peers. He legitimized their behavior. He gave them comfort, cover, and encouragement. His actions put members of this body at greater risk. His actions put our staffs at greater risk. His actions put the lives of journalists at greater risk. Quite frankly, it was one of the most repugnant things that has ever happened in this chamber."

Mr. Gilchrist pleaded with Mr. Shirkey to take some time to reflect and examine his conscience.

"Meeting with bigots and hate groups should be beneath his office," he said.

In an interview, Mr. Gilchrist said he was discouraged to see that Mr. Shirkey had instead spoken to a rally Thursday afternoon, just hours after the revelation where Ms. Whitmer again came under criticism.

"The senator was out there meeting with these people this afternoon, some of whom have obviously had ill intentions toward the government," he said.

Mr. Gilchrist said it's not too late for Mr. Shirkey to do the right thing.

"Every moment is a moment to make a choice," he said. "The senator has an opportunity to do things differently."

A complaint document from law enforcement said some of the men involved in the plot attempted to recruit members at a different Capitol protest later in the year.

Attorney General Dana Nessel speaking with MSNBC's Katy Tur said she worries about additional threats and called the plan revealed Thursday, "the tip of the iceberg." She said it is important for elected officials to, "tone down the rhetoric," and condemn these groups.

"What concerns me the most is that you'll see these armed militants in their paramilitary uniforms toting around their assault weapons, but then you'll see our elected officials literally hobnobbing with them and joining in and speaking at their events, including, by the way, many county sheriffs," Ms. Nessel said. "And many of these were the county sheriffs that absolutely refused to enforce the governor's orders and so what it does is it lends legitimacy to them, it lends credibility to these groups, to these organizations and to their membership. And it serves as a recruiting tool for them, because they have people from our government standing up and supporting them – and I think all of that has sort of escalated to the situation where we find ourselves right now, and it's not a good place to be."

In statements condemning the planned violence against the governor, Republicans thanked law enforcement for thwarting the attempt and said the governor and her family are in their prayers.

"Violence has no place in politics. Ever. It's never a solution to disagreements. The people who targeted (the governor) and police officers are un-American," Mr. Chatfield said on Twitter. "Justice should be swift and severe. It's time to send a message that violence will not be tolerated."

Mr. Shirkey said, "a threat against the governor is a threat against us all."

"We condemn the actions of the group of individuals that plotted against Governor Whitmer and state government," he said. "These people are not patriots. There is no honor in their actions. They are criminals and traitors, and they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Citizens who care about government show their passion by voting. Only terrorists resort to violence."

Rep. (R-Brighton) said in a statement there is no room for violence in politics, even when two sides disagree.

"These people are accused of serious crimes, and if found guilty they should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law," she said. "Only terrorists and those who want to upend the Constitution resort to violence, and we will not stand for it."

Rep. Beau LaFave (R-Iron Mountain) blasted Ms. Whitmer as "unbelievable" for blaming the president for an attempted kidnapping plot he said was stopped by the president's FBI.

"Not 3 minutes into the press conference about her would be kidnapping and how we need to come together, Michigan Governor Whitmer starts attacking the president and calling him a white (supremacist)," he wrote on Twitter. "If you want the temperature turned down, then stop adding BS wood to the fire."

Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel said while the plot against Ms. Whitmer was "evil," Ms. Whitmer had needlessly sought to turn it into a political argument against Mr. Trump.

Trump campaign senior advisor Jason Miller called Ms. Whitmer's comments "shameful" and said the governor should look in the mirror when it comes to hatred.

Ms. Whitmer, speaking to CNN Thursday night, said of Mr. Miller that it just shows what Mr. Trump and his White House is all about.

"The fact that after a plot to kidnap and to kill me this is what they come out with, they start attacking me as opposed to what good, decent people would do, which is to check in and say, 'Are you okay?' Which is what Joe Biden did."