Nearly three years after authorities foiled a kidnap plot against Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the last few co-defendants to be charged are set to stand trial.
Eric Molitor and two brothers – William Null and Michael Null – are among 14 people, described by prosecutors as anti-government extremists, who were charged in the kidnapping plot weeks before the November 2020 election. In the lawsuit documents, the team investigators said the defendants were outraged by Whitmer’s COVID-19 policies, which closed schools and limited economic activity.
The documents said the plotters were members of a paramilitary group, and spoke of attacking the state Capitol and police to incite civil war.
So far nine people have been convicted in state or federal courts, including four who pleaded guilty. Two other people were acquitted at trial.
Opening Session Scheduled for Wednesday
Jury selection in this last case will begin on Monday (21/8). The opening ceremony itself is scheduled to take place on Wednesday (23/8) in rural Antrim County, a tourist hot spot known for its cherry and apple orchards, sparkling lakes and quaint villages. Among those scenic attractions lies Elk Rapids, where Whitmer has a vacation home.
Evidence presented at an earlier trial showed the plot intended to kidnap the Democratic governor and blow up a bridge to prevent law enforcement officials from getting to him. But undercover FBI agents and informants who were with the group for several months prompted their arrest. Whitmer himself was physically safe.
Molitor and the Null brothers, who are all from Michigan, were charged with providing material support to commit a terrorist act, which if convicted would carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. They also face charges of illegally possessing firearms. They have pleaded not guilty.
Molitor has publicly stated that he and others were framed by informants and undercover FBI agents, who played a key role in his firearms training and trip to Elk Rapids. (em/hr)
