The FBI cracks down on the militia’s ‘plot’ to kidnap Michigan’s governor and overthrow the US government.

Agents thwarted a surprising plot to kidnap Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, authorities said by announcing the charges in an alleged scheme that involved months of planning and even trials to snatch her from her vacation home.

Six men were charged in federal court with conspiring to kidnap the governor in reaction to what they viewed as her “uncontrolled power,” according to a federal complaint. Separately, seven others were indicted in state court under Michigan’s counterterrorism laws for allegedly targeting police and seeking a “civil war.”

A few hours later, Whitmer blamed President Donald Trump, noting that he did not condemn white supremacists in last week’s debate with Joe Biden, and instead told a far-right group to “back off and stand by. “.

“The hate groups heard the president’s words not as a reprimand but as a rallying cry, as a call to action,” Whitmer said. “When our leaders speak, their words matter. They carry weight.”

The six men charged in federal court conspired for months, consulted and trained members of a group that federal authorities described as a militia, and conducted trials in August and September, according to an FBI affidavit. They were arrested Wednesday night and face life in prison if convicted.

Four had planned to meet Wednesday to “make a payment for explosives and exchange tactical equipment,” the FBI said in the court file.

The FBI quoted one of the defendants as saying that Whitmer “has no check or balance. He has uncontrolled power right now. All good things must come to an end.”

Andrew Birge, the US attorney in western Michigan, called the men “violent extremists.”

“All of us in Michigan may disagree about politics, but those disagreements should never amount to violence. Violence has been prevented today,” Detroit prosecutor Matthew Schneider told reporters.

Whitmer, who was considered a running mate of Joe Biden, has been praised but also deeply criticized by the Republican-controlled Legislature and conservative areas of the state for Michigan’s response to the coronavirus. It placed significant restrictions on personal movement across the state and on the economy, although many of those limits have been lifted. The governor has traded criticism with Trump on social media, with the president declaring in April, “FREE MICHIGAN!”

Whitmer has been referred to as the “Michigan woman.” There is no indication in the criminal complaint that the men were inspired by Trump. Authorities have also not said publicly whether the men were angry at Whitmer’s coronavirus orders.

Last week, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that a 1945 law used as the basis for many of Whitmer’s orders was unconstitutional. The decision was 4-3, with justices being nominated by Republicans in the majority.

The government said the plot against Whitmer was stopped with the work of undercover agents and informants.

Whitmer thanked police for thwarting the alleged conspirators and said he hopes the convictions will bring “these sick and depraved men to justice.”

Through electronic communications, two of the alleged conspirators “agreed to unite others in their cause and take violent action against various state governments that they believe are violating the United States Constitution,” the FBI said.

The criminal complaint identified the six as Adam Fox, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris, Brandon Caserta, all from Michigan and Barry Croft from Delaware. All but Croft appeared in federal court in Grand Rapids. They requested court-appointed attorneys and were sent back to jail to await arrest hearings on Tuesday.

Fox said he needed 200 men to storm the Capitol building in Lansing and take hostages, including the governor, according to the FBI. He said he wanted to try Whitmer for “treason” and would execute the plan before the Nov. 3 election, the government said. The group later went on to target the governor’s vacation home, the FBI said.

The government said the plan appeared to have its roots in a June meeting in Dublin, Ohio, attended by more than a dozen people from various states, including Croft and Fox.

“The group talked about creating a society that followed the United States Bill of Rights and where they could be self-sufficient,” the FBI affidavit said. “They discussed different ways to achieve this goal, from peaceful efforts to violent actions … Various members spoke about assassinating ‘tyrants’ or ‘taking’ an acting governor.”

In a separate but related action, state authorities announced terrorism-related charges against seven men who allegedly belonged to or were associated with the Wolverine Watchmen, who were described as a militia group.

The seven men are charged with identifying the homes of law enforcement officers and making violent threats “with the intention of instigating a civil war,” said Attorney General Dana Nessel.

They trained for an operation to attack the Michigan Capitol and to kidnap officials, including the governor, Nessel said.

– AP