On October 8 last year, about 13 people were arrested for allegedly conspiring to abduct Michigan State Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The said arrests were made by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on suspicion that the accused were planning to overthrow the State government over strict Covid-19 rules. A news investigation by Buzzfeed news has now revealed that about 12 FBI informants were not only a part of the conspiracy but also instigated the kidnapping plot.
Out of the 13 arrested men, it was alleged that 6 of them were a part of a right-wing militia group called the ‘Wolverine Watchmen’. It was also claimed that the kidnapping plot was hatched in Dublin city in the US State of Ohio. Several media publications had even alleged that the conspiracy was a prelude to the Capitol Hill riots that took place on January 6 this year. However, an extensive report by Buzzfeed has now revealed that the FBI informants had actively instigated the abduction plot and entrapped the other accused.
Buzzfeed noted, “The government has documented at least 12 confidential informants who assisted the sprawling investigation. The trove of evidence they helped gather provides an unprecedented view into American extremism, laying out in often stunning detail the ways that anti-government groups network with each other and, in some cases, discuss violent actions. 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.”
It further added, “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.” The revelation debunks the claims of Democrats such as Gretchen Whitmer and Joe Biden, who had squarely blamed Trump supporters for the alleged conspiracy.
Revelations made by Buzzfeed about FBI’s involvement in the Michigan kidnapping plot
Reportedly, the right-wing militia group ‘Wolverine Watchmen’ was joined by an Iraqi war veteran, who was an FBI mole in the group. Other than just reporting to the investigative authorities amount the nefarious plans of the group, he became deeply involved with the activities. Impressed by his dedication, he was made the second-in-command at the ‘Wolverine Watchmen’. The FBI informant encouraged the group members to collaborate with other suspects and even covered the transportation costs for such meetings.
In what appears to be a clear case of entrapment, he instigated the group members to advance their kidnapping plans and then pushed them into a trap, which led to their eventual arrest. He worked for over 6 months with the militants and wore a wire at all times to keep the FBI in the loop. The US veteran wasn’t the only FBI informant in the group.
A biker from Wisconsin was also an undercover FBI agent. He helped organise meetings across the country and laid the initial foundation of the kidnapping plot. He even paid for food and lodging to encourage more people to join the Michigan conspiracy. It is reported that at least 12 confidential informants assisted the investigation into the matter.
There was another FBI informant who guided the group members about possible locations to place explosives while a man who went by the alias of ‘Mark’ also worked under FBI’s directions. All the 14 men, with the exception of one, have pleaded not guilty to the conspiracy and claim that “no actual conspiracy to kidnap the governor ever existed.”
According to them, texts and recordings cited as evidence of criminal conspiracy by the Government is actually constitutionally protected speech in the USA. The report further states that “one defendant has formally accused the government of entrapment, arguing that the FBI assembled the key plotters, encouraged the group’s anti-government feelings, and even gave its members military-style training. Additional defendants have said they plan to make similar claims when the cases, divided between federal and state court, go to trial starting as soon as October.”
Accusations against Donald Trump and his supporters
Ever since the arrest of the accused men in the Michigan kidnapping plot, Governor Whitmer blamed the Donald Trump administration for supposedly failing to condemn ‘right-wing groups’. While pushing forward the ‘domestic terror’ narrative forward, she urged people to not refer to the accused men as members of a militant group. She blamed the Republican leadership and claimed that ‘Wolverine Watchman’ was finding comfort and support in the rhetorics of the party.
Whitmer had also accused Trump of fueling divisiveness in the country and inciting domestic terrorism. Trump had been a vocal critic of her stringent Coronavirus lockdown measures in Michigan.
Commentators and journalists have warned in recent times that the Democrats plan to unleash a new war on terror, this time against their own citizens. The war on terror refers to American military misadventures in Afghanistan and the Middle East in the wake of the 9/11 terror attack.
“What they want to do is increase their power to monitor political groups, infiltrate them, to criminalize activities that are currently not criminalized nor should they be, whether it be advocacy of speech or other things,” Glenn Greenwald had said during an appearance on Tucker Carlson Tonight.
Their strategy is “to inflate the risk of what they call ‘White Supremacist Terrorism’ which increasingly means nothing more than being a Trump supporter and then treating people in the United States who fall into that category the way you treat terrorists.” “You monitor them, you surveil them, you restrain them, you detain them and this is what they are saying explicitly,” Greenwald had said.
In June, Greenwald had echoed the same message saying that the new domestic war on terror had already begun.
