FBI informants had bigger role in Whitmer kidnap plot than thought: report
Barnini Chakraborty
July 21, 2021·4 min read
In this article:
Members of an anti-government group accused of hatching a plan to kidnap Michigan
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer claim they were set up by more than a dozen
FBI agents who had infiltrated the organization and played a key role in the plot, according to a new report.
Fourteen members tied to the paramilitary militia group Wolverine Watchmen were arrested in connection to the 2020 scheme to kidnap the Democratic governor after she refused to loosen
coronavirus restrictions in the state. The plan was brainstormed at a militant-group training camp in August. Within a few short weeks, the defendants began surveilling Whitmer's vacation house and "drew a map" that "noted approximate distances from the home to police first responders," according to an indictment.
The group also allegedly planned to attack infrastructure near Whitmer's house, including blowing up a bridge to slow the response from law enforcement officers.
FBI AGENT WHO PLAYED KEY ROLE IN WHITMER KIDNAP INVESTIGATION CHARGED WITH ASSAULT
The case has been heralded as a high-profile example of how the FBI's infiltration of the innermost circle of extremist groups can thwart domestic terrorism. But others believe it's an example of gross government overreach that could backfire.
Prosecutors recently revealed that there were a dozen confidential informants working on the case. The evidence they helped gather provided a glimpse into American extremism and how some self-proclaimed militia groups collaborate with one another, including pooling resources and building on violent ideas.
WHAT TO MAKE OF THE PLOT TO KIDNAP GRETCHEN WHITMER
But a
closer look into the foiled kidnapping by BuzzFeed revealed that some of the informants the government used appeared to play a far greater role in the plot than had been previously reported. In fact, the informants had a hand in nearly every aspect of the twisted machination, including its inception.
New information on the extent of the FBI's involvement has raised questions as to whether there would have even been a conspiracy to take down the Democratic governor without their help.
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