Six of the seven men blamed in state court for plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer were summoned Friday night on terror charges, the state lawyer general reported.
The men face an aggregate of 19 state crime accusations documented by Attorney General Nessel after they supposedly arranged and prepared for quite a long time to assault the state Capitol building and kidnap Whitmer in protest of the Covid limitations she had forced on the state.
The seventh suspect is awaiting extradition to Michigan.
The suspects are accused of being associates of the shadowy militia group the Wolverine Watchmen.
They allegedly hoped to instigate a civil war, and called on fellow members to identify the home addresses of law enforcement officers.
Some of the men allegedly surveilled Whitmer’s vacation home in August and September, according to an FBI affidavit, and planned to meet Wednesday to “make a payment on explosives and exchange tactical gear.”
Whitmer, who had known about the threats against her, had to be “moved around” multiple times with her family as authorities tracked the offenders, Nessel said earlier Friday.
“She was aware of things that were happening,” Nessel said on “CBS This Morning.”
“At times, she and her family had been moved around as a result of activities that law enforcement was aware of.”
The six suspects arraigned Friday are Shawn Fix, 38; Eric Molitor, 36; Pete Musico, 42; Joseph Morrison, 26; Michael Null, 38 and William Null, 38.
Paul Bellar, 21, the seventh state-charged suspect, is being extradited from South Carolina.
“They had all the means to do it. They had been in training exercises. We think they had the necessary equipment — artillery, explosives, things of that nature,” Nessel added during hear CBS appearance.
“And we thought the trainings had gone on long enough.”
Ths state terrorism charges against the seven men carry a possible 20-year sentence.
But another six face life in prison on federal charges.
In all, thirteen suspects were arrested.
Whitmer on “Good Morning America” Friday referred to the group as a “domestic terror organization” and blamed President Trump for fostering such behavior with his rhetoric and relentless attacks against her and her COVID-19 policies.
“There is ongoing rhetoric,” she said on the program.
She referenced tweets the president posted Thursday night, in which he slammed her for doing a “terrible job” combatting the virus.
“Even the president last night in his tweetstorm won’t stop attacking me,” she added, “and I think that it’s creating a very dangerous situation — not just for me but for people in leadership roles who are trying to save lives all across this country.”
