Topline
A jury on Friday acquitted two Michigan men who were accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), according to multiple reports, and failed to reach a unanimous verdict for two others.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) speaks on October 25, 2020, in Detroit.
Key Facts
Brandon Castera and Daniel Harris were found not guilty on all counts, while a mistrial was declared for Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr., the alleged ringleaders.
The men all faced one count of kidnapping conspiracy, with Fox, Croft and Harris also facing charges associated with explosives and a firearm.
Federal prosecutors portrayed the men as far-right militant extremists who were hell-bent on abducting a governor they considered a “tyrant,” and went to great lengths training for the kidnapping.
Defense attorneys argued that the men were never serious about the plot and were manipulated online by an FBI informant who entrapped them in a conspiracy.
Friday marked one full month since the trial commenced and was the fifth day of jury deliberations.
Crucial Quote
“That’s what bound these defendants together . . . they were filled with rage,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler said in his closing argument.
Key Background
The men were arrested in October 2020 after allegedly talking about raising $4,000 to obtain an explosive to blow up a bridge, as part of a plan to evade police after kidnapping Whitmer. Two other men involved, Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks, have already pleaded guilty in the case, and testified at the trial that the plan was genuine and not concocted by the FBI. Garbin said the main goal of the plot was for the kidnapping to spark a civil war that would have prevented President Joe Biden from taking office.
What To Watch For
Eight others accused of involvement in the plot face state domestic terrorism charges.
Further Reading
Man Charged With Plotting To Kidnap Michigan Governor Pleads Guilty (Forbes)
Jurors reach partial verdict in Whitmer kidnap plot case (Detroit News)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/04/08/jury-brings-no-convictions-in-whitmer-kidnapping-plot-trial/