Great Lakes Wire

Federal agents foiled a planned kidnapping of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and an alleged plot to overthrow the government, according to an affidavit filed on Thursday.

The alleged plot to kidnap Whitmer included several visits to her home, training with explosives, and a plan to take her to a remote location in Wisconsin, the Detroit News reported.

Federal agents, in the court filing, indicated the plot involved some who met during a June Second Amendment rally in Lansing. Those conspirators reached out to a Michigan militia group called the Wolverine Watchmen for help with their plan, according to the Detroit News. That group was already known to law enforcement.

The affidavit cited probable cause to charge six men with conspiring to kidnap Whitmer. They are identified as Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta.

Fox, Garbin, Franks, Harris and Caserta made initial appearances in federal court Thursday, the Detroit News reported. They are being held without bail pending a hearing and the charge of conspiracy. Each could carry a life sentence in prison.

The FBI tracked the men through undercover agents, confidential sources and recordings as they allegedly communicated using code phrases to mask their plan and avoid law enforcement detection.

The affidavit states that the FBI, through one confidential human source, monitored a phone call on June 14 with Fox. 

"Fox said he needed '200 men' to storm the Capitol building in Lansing, Michigan and take hostages, including the governor. Fox explained they would try the governor of Michigan for 'treason' and he said they would execute the plan before the November 2020 elections," stated the affidavit.

A week later, Fox, Garbin and other individuals met at Fox's business in Grand Rapids, where the attendees discussed "plans for assaulting the Michigan State Capitol, countering law enforcement first responders and using 'Molotov cocktails' to destroy police vehicles," the affidavit states.

The Department of Justice said the members of the alleged conspiracy conducted surveillance on two occasions on Whitmer's vacation home. Fox and Croft allegedly also discussed detonating explosive devices to divert police from the area of the home and Fox purchased a stun gun to use in the kidnapping, the DOJ said.

“All of us can disagree about politics, but those disagreements should never, ever result in violence,” stated U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider in a statement to the press.  “The allegations in this complaint are deeply disturbing.  We owe our thanks to the men and women of law enforcement who uncovered this plot and have worked so hard to protect Gov. Whitmer.”

“These alleged extremists undertook a plot to kidnap a sitting governor,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Josh P. Hauxhurst in a statement. “Whenever extremists move into the realm of actually planning violent acts, the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force stands ready to identify, disrupt and dismantle their operations, preventing them from following through on those plans.”

Whitmer and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden both placed some blame on the plot against Whitmer on President Donald Trump. They both said he did not do enough to condemn white supremacists, the Detroit News reported.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany pushed back against them blaming Trump and told Bloomberg News that Trump "has continually condemned white supremacists and all forms of hate."

"Gov. Whitmer is sowing division by making these outlandish allegations," McEnany said in a statement. "America stands united against hate and in support of our federal law enforcement who stopped this plot."