On Friday, a jury found three individuals not guilty in the final trial concerning an alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
This event was initially hyped up by the mainstream media as a case of “domestic terrorism” during the lead-up to the 2020 presidential elections.
William Null, his twin Michael Null, and Eric Molitor were acquitted on charges of offering support to a terrorist act and a weapons offense.
They were the final three out of 14 defendants to be tried in state and federal courts related to this case.
Out of these 14, nine have been convicted, while five, including the three recently acquitted, have been found not guilty, according to The Associated Press (AP).
Evidence reportedly suggested that the trio supported the kidnapping plot’s leaders by engaging in military-style drills and making trips to the Governor’s vacation property in northern Michigan.
In a previous trial, the alleged primary conspirators, Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr., were found guilty of conspiring to kidnap.
The trial took place over 14 days in Antrim County, where Governor Whitmer’s property is located.
When the verdict was read, there were audible reactions in the courtroom.
Following the jury’s decision, the three men displayed strong emotions, embracing their legal representatives and supporters.
“You gentlemen are free to leave,” stated Judge Charles Hamlyn.
Historical accounts indicate that the alleged plot against Governor Whitmer gained traction during a meeting of anti-government radicals in Dublin, Ohio, in the summer of 2020.
At this gathering, Fox, Croft, and William Null were present, and a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) informant covertly documented discussions that involved threats of violence against public figures.
A portion of the conspirators’ animosity was purportedly due to restrictions set during the COVID-19 pandemic, as evidenced by recordings, social media posts, and texts showcased at the trial, per AP.
Governor Whitmer’s Chief of Staff, JoAnne Huls, expressed her concerns about the verdict, stating it might “further encourage and embolden radical extremists trying to sow discord and harm public officials or law enforcement.”
State Attorney General Dana Nessel conveyed her disappointment, remarking, “verdicts are not what we hoped for.”
Some have speculated the kidnapping plot looked like government-directed “entrapment,” and wondered “whether it would have moved forward at all without the government’s prodding.”
“Some of these government actors took lead roles in organizing the supposed plot—one of the informants was even paid $54,000 by the FBI,” according to Reason. “Taken together, these and other details raise the strong possibility that the militia members were victims of entrapment on the part of the FBI.”
Not only was it “clear that Whitmer was in no real danger,” Reason emphasizes, but at “all stages of the alleged plot, the FBI was aware of every facet: Their agents and informants were intimately involved—not just surveilling the militia members, but actively offering guidance on how to pull off the kidnapping.”
The Reason piece contends that the Whitmer kidnapping plot “was extensively directed and encouraged by agents of the government” and represents a “persuasive case of Deep State nefariousness.”
