Michigan Plotters Discussed Grabbing Virginia Governor: FBI

(Bloomberg) -- The men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer as part of a plan to overthrow the state’s government in response to coronavirus lockdown measures also considered taking Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, an FBI agent testified on Tuesday.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation got the information in June from an informant who was concerned about the plan and decided to take it to authorities, FBI agent Richard Trask said at a preliminary hearing for five defendants in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

A preliminary hearing is an early procedural step in a case in which a prosecutor must show that there’s enough evidence to charge a defendant. It’s a rarely used alternative to a grand jury proceeding.

Trask, who has trained extensively in counter-terrorism, was questioned by prosecutors and defense lawyers before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sally J. Berens, who will complete the hearing on Friday. She denied bail for three of the defendants and didn’t immediately rule on the others’ request.

The Democratic governors of Michigan and Virginia came up specifically as the men “discussed possible targets,” Trask said.

13 Charged

All told, 13 men were charged with plotting to overthrow the government of Michigan by storming the Capitol, kidnapping the governor and trying her for treason. The alleged consideration of Northam as a target isn’t included in the part of the plot with which they were charged. That focused on taking Whitmer from her vacation home, blowing up a bridge to stop law enforcement and escaping with the Democrat via Lake Michigan.

At the hearing, two defense lawyers suggested that militia plots are often “big talk” by “wannabe military” that don’t ever get carried out.

Scott Graham, a lawyer for accused plotter Kaleb Franks, made the claim while questioning Trask on Tuesday, downplaying the significance of the secretly recorded discussions, encrypted text messages and military-style tactical drills the defendants were involved in.

The lawyer asked the agent if such chatter among militiamen, generally speaking, can be “big talk between crackpots.” Trask agreed that many militia members do engage in empty talk but said the defendants had raised legitimate red flags. The lawyer also asked the agent if it’s common for militia members to engage in tactical training that isn’t illegal.

“You’ve found that tactical training sessions are actually quite common, haven’t you?” Graham asked.

“Yes,” Trask said.

But under questioning from Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler, the FBI agent agreed that the accused men went far beyond what’s considered normal behavior for militia when they surveilled Whitmer’s vacation home, examined a boat dock that could be used for a getaway and discussed details for plans to obtain explosives.

In probes of other militia, “do you hear them openly talking about committing crimes?” Kessler asked.

“No,” Trask replied.

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