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LANSING, Michigan: Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and her family were sometimes taken away by authorities while police tracked down men who allegedly conspired for months to kidnap her, the state attorney general said Friday (October 9).
Dana Nessel revealed the details to CBS This Morning, saying that the Democratic governor was constantly updated on the investigation over the past few months.
“She was aware of things that were going on,” Nessel said.
“At times, she and her family had been transferred as a result of activities that law enforcement agencies were aware of.”
Authorities announced Thursday that they foiled an impressive plot to kidnap Whitmer in a plan that involved months of planning and even rehearsals to snatch her from her vacation home ahead of the November 3 presidential election.
READ: Plot to Kidnap Frustrated Michigan Governor, Militia Members Arrested
Six men were charged in federal court with conspiring to kidnap the governor in reaction to what they considered her “uncontrolled power,” according to a federal complaint.
Meanwhile, seven others linked to a paramilitary group called the Wolverine Watchmen were indicted in state court for allegedly attempting to storm the Michigan Capitol and pursue a “civil war,” including four who allegedly helped guard Whitmer’s home.
The two groups trained together and planned “various acts of violence,” according to state police.
Surveillance of the kidnapping plot took place in August and September, according to an FBI affidavit, and four of the men had planned to meet Wednesday to “make a payment for explosives and exchange tactical equipment.”
The FBI quoted one of the men as saying that Whitmer “has no check or balance.”
“She has uncontrolled power right now. All good things must come to an end,” the man said.
Authorities said the schemes were stopped with the work of undercover agents and informants.
The men were arrested Wednesday night.
All six defendants in federal court face life in prison if convicted.
The state terrorism charges facing the other seven men carry a possible 20-year sentence.
Andrew Birge, the US attorney for western Michigan, called the men “violent extremists.”
They discussed the detonation of explosive devices, including under a highway bridge, to divert police from the area near Whitmer’s vacation home, and one of them bought a taser to use in the kidnapping, Birge said.
“All of us in Michigan may disagree about politics, but those disagreements should never amount to violence,” Detroit prosecutor Matthew Schneider told reporters.
“Today the violence has been prevented.”
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 stay out of it. “.
“The hate groups heard the president’s words not as a reprimand but as a rallying cry, as a call to action,” Whitmer said.
Trump tweeted that the governor “has done a terrible job” and again called on her to “open her state.”
He said he does not tolerate any extreme violence.
Whitmer, who was considered Biden’s running mate and is almost in the middle of a four-year term, has been widely praised for her response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but has also come under fire from Republican lawmakers and individuals. in conservative areas of the state.
The Michigan Capitol has been the scene of many demonstrations, including some with armed protesters calling for his removal.
Whitmer imposed significant restrictions on personal movement and the economy during the pandemic, although many of those limits have been lifted since the spring.
The governor has traded criticism with Trump on social media, with the president declaring in April, “FREE MICHIGAN!”
However, there is no indication in the criminal complaint that the men were inspired by Trump.
