Three men were acquitted Friday of charges that they supported an alleged plot to kidnap Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020.
Twin brothers William and Michael Null and Eric Molitor were found not guilty on the charge that they provided support for a terrorist act and a weapons charge against them.
Fourteen people faced charges in connection with the plot. Five have been found not guilty and nine were convicted, according to the Associated Press.
BREAKING: The three men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer have been acquitted, @JDBalartMSNBC reports. pic.twitter.com/PIACw5apui
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) September 15, 2023
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The allegations against the defendants were that, in 2020, a plan was in place to try to kidnap Whitmer. Defense attorneys have argued the FBI led the defendants on through undercover agents and confidential informants, according to CNN.
During the trial, attorney William Barnett, who represented Molitor, said Whitmer blamed the plot’s origins on comments from former President Donald Trump, according to The New York Times.
“It’s all politics, folks. There’s something going on here. I don’t know what’s going on. But it looks like weaponization of the government,” he said.
The trial stretched over 14 days of testimony in Antrim County, 185 miles north of the state Capitol. Deliberations began Thursday and ended Friday.
Should the FBI agents involved be charged?
Yes: 99% (127 Votes)
No: 1% (1 Votes)
“You gentlemen are free to leave,” Judge Charles Hamlyn said. The three men hugged lawyers and supporters after the verdict was announced.
Straight from CNN:
“The FBI coerced the defendants to drive the plot forward through a collection of undercover agents and confidential informants.”https://t.co/ZUUZYNHIXR
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) September 15, 2023
Barnett said that afterward, a juror told Molitor “he was very sorry for all he had gone through.”
“The man shook his hand and gave him a hug,” Barnett said.
Barnett said jurors privately said the evidence against the men did not meet the charge’s requirement to show the men provided “material support” for the plot.
“They went after three peoples’ lives and destroyed them for three years,” Barnett said. “I’m just lost for words. This is an emotional moment.”
Part of the evidence against the Null brothers and Molitor were photos of them carrying guns and participating in protests, even though none of those actions were illegal.
JoAnne Huls, Whitmer’s chief of staff, called the verdict “disappointing,” according to MLive.
“A not guilty verdict on the plot to kidnap and kill Governor Whitmer in hopes of starting a civil war will further encourage and embolden radical extremists trying to sow discord and harm public officials or law enforcement,” she said in a statement.
