US governor
Gretchen Whitmer plotted kidnapping: Defendants found guilty
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at a rally in Michigan
© Paul Sancya/AP/DPA
Two men have been found guilty of plotting to kidnap US Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The men are said to have even considered using a bomb to kidnap her.
It could be a verdict with a signal effect: two defendants have been found guilty of a planned kidnapping of US Governor Gretchen Whitmer. A court found it proven that the two men had plotted to kidnap the governor of Michigan at her vacation home in 2020, the US Department of Justice said.
The use of a bomb was also considered in order to disable the politician’s security personnel. One of the two men was found guilty of possession of explosives. The judge has yet to set the sentence. Life imprisonment is threatened.
Planned kidnapping of US governor Gretchen Whitmer: Two accused found guilty, more could follow
“Today’s verdict confirms that this plot was very real and very dangerous,” said prosecutor Andrew Birge. “These men were not only a threat to the governor personally, but also to bystanders.” At a first trial in the spring, the jury did not come to a unanimous verdict.
Whitmer himself said the guilty verdicts show that violence and threats have no place in politics and that those who try to divide society are held accountable. Assaults on officials and threats against the FBI would highlight the worrying spread of “radicalized domestic terrorism” that threatens the very foundations of the United States.
Earlier in 2020, FBI investigators took to social media to see a group of people discussing the “violent overthrow of certain government and law enforcement components.” With the help of informants, undercover agents and secret recordings of conversations, the plans were finally uncovered in autumn 2020. In addition to the men who have now been found guilty, other suspects have also been arrested.