Federal prosecutors now claim that the five men who allegedly plotted to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) also discussed doing the same to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R).
“The DeWine connection to a high-profile federal criminal case involving alleged violent extremism has not been previously disclosed and reveals accused plotters discussed a broader, bipartisan attack on politicians from several states,” The Detroit News reported. “Prosecutors leveled the new allegation in a court filing Monday while fighting what has emerged as a central defense strategy that involves accusing the FBI of entrapment.”
Defense lawyers for the men say the FBI led nearly every aspect of the plot, and they were simply following along.
BuzzFeed blew the whistle on the FBI’s investigation into the suspects in a July story.
“An examination of the case by BuzzFeed News also reveals that some of those informants, acting under the direction of the FBI, played a far larger role than has previously been reported,” that news outlet said. “Working in secret, they did more than just passively observe and report on the actions of the suspects. Instead, they had a hand in nearly every aspect of the alleged plot, starting with its inception. The extent of their involvement raises questions as to whether there would have even been a conspiracy without them.”
But prosecutors say the men met in Columbus, Ohio in June of 2020 to discuss possibly kidnapping Whitmer, DeWine, and Gov. Ralph Northam of Virginia (D).
DeWine decried the attempt to kidnap Whitmer when asked, immediately after the news broke.
“It’s shocking,” he said at the time. “All I know is what I’ve read an hour ago from following the story. This is a despicable act. Everyone has to denounce this. If you want to talk about our political process, this is outside our political process.”
But his office has not commented on the news that he was a potential target.
Meanwhile, the lead FBI agent in the case is facing a crisis of credibility after he was arrested in late July for allegedly choking his wife and smashing her head against a nightstand when the couple had an argument after attending a swingers’ party.
Special Agent Richard Trask, a 39-year-old with 10 years of experience in the FBI, has already testified against one of the accused kidnappers, Delaware resident Barry Croft, in federal court.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
