UNITED STATES NEWS

A man charged with aiding Michigan Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot says the scheme didn’t seem serious

Sep 7, 2023, 10:13 AM | Updated: 6:44 pm

FILE - Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks at the SelectUSA Investment Summit, May 4, 2023, in Ox...

FILE - Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks at the SelectUSA Investment Summit, May 4, 2023, in Oxon Hill, Md. Nearly three years after authorities foiled a bizarre plot to kidnap Whitmer, the last defendants accused of taking part, Eric Molitor and brothers William Null and Michael Null, go on trial Monday, Aug. 21. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

One of three men accused of assisting a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer testified in his own defense Thursday, portraying himself as a scared participant in a daytime ride to see her vacation home in northern Michigan.

Eric Molitor and twin brothers William Null and Michael Null are charged with providing material support for terrorist acts.

Molitor said Whitmer’s name didn’t come up when he was encouraged by the scheme’s leader, Adam Fox, to go to Antrim County to check out a “high-profile vacation house” in August 2020.

But Molitor said he became anxious when he learned that it was the governor’s lakeside house in Elk Rapids. He was in a pickup truck with Fox and an FBI informant when they twice drove by the property.

“What do I say? How do I act? What do I do? How do I get out of this situation?” Molitor told the jury. “I don’t have training. I don’t have backup. I got nothing.”

Molitor’s decision to testify was a rare move: In four trials so far in state and federal courts, only one other defendant has taken the witness stand. He was acquitted.

Molitor and the Nulls are accused of aiding plot leaders Fox and Barry Croft Jr. Social media posts and text messages show they were outraged over COVID-19 restrictions, but evidence also revealed that they had anti-government views before the pandemic and were girding for a civil war.

Molitor, 39, said his concern about the drive to Whitmer’s home eased, and he didn’t contact police.

“It didn’t seem serious. … The danger level in my mind was decreasing just based on the fact that they were not organized. It was two guys, one of them just talking crazy,” Molitor testified. “My danger level went way down.”

He said he voted for Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel, both Democrats, in 2018 but soured on them. Molitor said mask rules and lockdowns during the peak of COVID-19 were excessive.

“Did I have thoughts of hurting people? No. I did back the idea of a civilian arrest if that was possible,” he said of Whitmer. “Other than that, voting her out was my best way of taking care of that.”

The Null brothers were part of a separate night ride to see Whitmer’s property several days later. The three men also participated in paramilitary training.

Informants and undercover FBI agents were inside the group for months, making recordings and collecting evidence. Whitmer was not physically harmed.

Fourteen men were arrested just a month before the November 2020 election. Nine have been convicted in state or federal court while two have been acquitted.

After the plot was thwarted, Whitmer blamed then-President Donald Trump, saying he had given “comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division.” Trump called the kidnapping plan a “fake deal” in August 2022.

___

This story has been corrected to show Whitmer and Nessel were candidates for elections in 2018, not 2016.

___

Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwritez

United States News

Associated Press

University of the People founder and Arizona State professor win Yidan Prize for education work

NEW YORK (AP) — Shai Reshef, president and founder of the online, tuition-free University of the People, and Arizona State professor and researcher Michelene Chi, who has developed a framework to improve how students learn, are the 2023 winners of The Yidan Prize, the biggest award in education. Reshef and Chi will each receive 15 […]

19 minutes ago

Associated Press

Massachusetts man stabs five officers after crashing into home following chase, police say

TAUNTON, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts man who sped away during a traffic stop led police on a chase that ended with him crashing into a home and then stabbing five officers, including the local police chief, before he was arrested, authorities said. The Taunton police officers were injured trying to take Douglas Hagerty, 35, […]

46 minutes ago

Associated Press

3 dead after car being pursued by police crashes in Indianapolis minutes after police end pursuit

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Three people including a teenage boy died when a car being chased by police in Indianapolis for reckless driving collided with another vehicle only minutes after officers ended their pursuit, authorities said Wednesday. An Indiana state trooper began the pursuit Tuesday night when the driver of a Dodge Challenger fled the officer’s […]

51 minutes ago

Associated Press

Man serving sentence for attacking parents fails to return to halfway house and considered escapee

MOUNT LAUEL, N.J. (AP) — A man serving a prison sentence for attacking and seriously injuring his parents more than two decades ago remains missing Wednesday, several days after he failed to return to the halfway house where he was living. Edward Berbon, 54, was assigned to a halfway house in Camden County and had […]

1 hour ago

Associated Press

Montana judge blocks enforcement of law to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A law to ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors in Montana is temporarily banned, a state judge ruled Tuesday, just four days before it was to take effect. District Court Judge Jason Marks agreed with transgender youth, their families and healthcare providers that a law passed by the 2023 Montana […]

3 hours ago

Associated Press

Authorities make arrests in the case of Kentucky woman reported missing 8 years ago

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The former boyfriend of a central Kentucky woman who disappeared more than eight years ago has been arrested on charges stemming from the investigation, the FBI and Kentucky State Police said Wednesday in a statement. Brooks Houck was arrested without incident on charges stemming from the Crystal Rogers investigation, the statement […]

3 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Importance of AC maintenance after Arizona’s excruciating heat wave

An air conditioning unit in Phoenix is vital to living a comfortable life inside, away from triple-digit heat.

Home moving relocation in Arizona 2023...

BMS Moving

Tips for making your move in Arizona easier

If you're moving to a new home in Arizona, use this to-do list to alleviate some stress and ensure a smoother transition to your new home.

...

OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

5 mental health myths you didn’t know were made up

Helping individuals understand mental health diagnoses like obsessive compulsive spectrum disorder or generalized anxiety disorder isn’t always an easy undertaking. After all, our society tends to spread misconceptions about mental health like wildfire. This is why being mindful about how we talk about mental health is so important. We can either perpetuate misinformation about already […]

A man charged with aiding Michigan Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot says the scheme didn’t seem serious