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Topic subjectMilitia Plot to Kidnap Gov. Gretchen "Big Gretch" Whittmer Foiled (swipe)
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=4&topic_id=13407394
13407394, Militia Plot to Kidnap Gov. Gretchen "Big Gretch" Whittmer Foiled (swipe)
Posted by navajo joe, Thu Oct-08-20 10:50 AM
One of the many reasons I take this shit seriously.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/10/08/feds-thwart-militia-plot-kidnap-michigan-gov-gretchen-whitmer/5922301002/

Feds say they thwarted militia plot to kidnap Whitmer
Robert Snell
The Detroit News


The FBI thwarted what they described as a plot to violently overthrow the government and kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and federal prosecutors are expected to discuss the alleged conspiracy later Thursday.

The alleged plot involved reaching out to members of a Michigan militia, according to a federal affidavit filed Thursday.

"Several members talked about murdering 'tyrants' or 'taking' a sitting governor," an FBI agent wrote in the affidavit. "The group decided they needed to increase their numbers and encouraged each other to talk to their neighbors and spread their message."

The affidavit was filed hours after a team of FBI agents raided a Hartland Township home Wednesday and comes amid an ongoing investigation into the death of a Metro Detroit man killed during a shootout with FBI agents.

In recent weeks, the state-owned Michigan governor's residence received security upgrades, including the construction of a new perimeter fence.

The "perimeter security and other safety upgrades" were planned out last year, Whitmer spokeswoman Tiffany Brown said in early September. They were scheduled to start in the early spring but were delayed until recently because of the pandemic, she said.

The cost for the "maintenance" projects at the Lansing residence, which was recommended by the Michigan State Police and the state Department of Technology, Management and Budget, was about $1.1 million, Brown said.

"As a matter of practice, we’re constantly reviewing security protocols and adjusting as needed," said Shanon Banner, spokeswoman for the Michigan State Police, in early September. "We don’t comment on specific threats against the governor nor do we provide information about security measures."

Come back to www.detroitnews.com for more on this developing story

Staff Writer Craig Mauger contributed.
13407397, I told my guy a few months ago "white people play for keeps"
Posted by MEAT, Thu Oct-08-20 11:02 AM
They aint never letting go of what they feels is theirs.
13407402, Under. The. Jail.
Posted by Amritsar, Thu Oct-08-20 11:11 AM
13407406, Militia my ass. Fucking terrorists!
Posted by sectachrome86, Thu Oct-08-20 11:33 AM
Off doing firearms and tactical training in the woods, planning to kidnap a governor and kill police officers. Fucking. Terrorists.

"complained about the state’s judicial system and COVID-19 restrictions on gyms"
What the entire fuck. Trump has created brainwashed terrorist cults.

Terrorist:
a person who uses unlawful violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.

Militia:
a military force that is raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency.
13407407, Agreed. I kept that part of the headline as printed and regret it
Posted by navajo joe, Thu Oct-08-20 11:36 AM
These are terrorist organizations and terrorists attempting to engage in terrorist acts.


I won't make the mistake of not properly framing that again
13407506, thank you
Posted by T Reynolds, Thu Oct-08-20 04:06 PM
13407419, Michigan AG has been reading the list of charges for like 20 minutes lol.
Posted by Triptych, Thu Oct-08-20 12:19 PM
13407420, Full Affadavit (Link)
Posted by navajo joe, Thu Oct-08-20 12:21 PM
https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.miwd.99213/gov.uscourts.miwd.99213.1.1_1.pdf
13407422, Thanks. Reading this now
Posted by Amritsar, Thu Oct-08-20 12:28 PM
13407424, Idiots were already on the local PD radar
Posted by Amritsar, Thu Oct-08-20 12:35 PM
At least two undercover feds and two snitches WITHIN the group. FBI and them got realllll good at turning people against their own criminal organizations. Perfected it during the mafia heyday.



Yeah these amateurs are federally fucked.
13407425, Wasn't there someone on here advocating for this shit?
Posted by mrhood75, Thu Oct-08-20 12:40 PM
Like complaining that she was being a tyrant?

It's all blurring together, but I swear that happened.
13407427, Yup.
Posted by navajo joe, Thu Oct-08-20 12:45 PM
I remember
13407426, These bitches didn’t want to wear a mask and the gym was closed
Posted by calij81, Thu Oct-08-20 12:43 PM
So they plotted this bullshit. Oh well, fewer votes for trump in Michigan now.

I hope Biden unleashes the full force of the FBI and other agencies to go after these idiots.
13407445, Well the gym in jail should be open
Posted by legsdiamond, Thu Oct-08-20 01:33 PM
other things gonna be open too
13407432, Liberate Michigan B/W Never heard of it
Posted by bentagain, Thu Oct-08-20 12:56 PM
13407444, Liberate Michigan trump said
Posted by walihorse, Thu Oct-08-20 01:28 PM
I guess they were really trying to liberate them hair cuts and getting swole at the gym.

How vain.
13407447, It will be another Oklahoma City before the country takes these people serious
Posted by Buddy_Gilapagos, Thu Oct-08-20 01:36 PM

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"
13407456, Yep. Country should be taking this as seriously as the FBI is
Posted by Amritsar, Thu Oct-08-20 01:55 PM
Fortunately these idiots use FB Discussion Groups

Per the affidavit
13407455, ANTIFA though!!
Posted by DJR, Thu Oct-08-20 01:53 PM
And Muslims!

This is all on Trump’s rhetoric.
13407461, How One Man Built a Neo-Nazi Insurgency in Trump's America (Link)
Posted by navajo joe, Thu Oct-08-20 02:07 PM
Fantastic reporting by Vice on this. It's a very long read so I'm not going to repost it here. Just for quick background The Base was a terrorist outfit led by former military contractor Rinaldo Nazzaro who is now believed to be residing in....Russia.

This story has everything: A diverse array of Nazis eager to start violence, murder plots, a goat sacrifice.

The story is in many ways the same with the terrorist group in Michigan.

How One Man Built a Neo-Nazi Insurgency in Trump's America

This is the inside story of how Rinaldo Nazzaro built the Base, a neo-Nazi terror organization—and how it all came apart.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7g9kb/how-one-man-built-a-neo-nazi-insurgency-in-trumps-america

13407491, RE: How One Man Built a Neo-Nazi Insurgency in Trump's America (Link)
Posted by mista k5, Thu Oct-08-20 03:22 PM
>This story has everything: A diverse array of Nazis eager to
>start violence, murder plots, a goat sacrifice.
>

cant help be think of
https://i.imgflip.com/1q18ql.jpg

13407494, I wrote that in Stefon voice
Posted by navajo joe, Thu Oct-08-20 03:23 PM
13407485, LOCK THESE FUCKERS UP FOR LIFE...
Posted by My_SP1200_Broken_Again, Thu Oct-08-20 03:10 PM
13407502, White House accuses Whitmer of "trying to sow division"
Posted by navajo joe, Thu Oct-08-20 03:54 PM
in response to Whitmer's address this afternoon.

https://www.wxyz.com/news/militia-kidnapping-plot/gov-whitmer-is-sowing-division-white-house-responds-after-whitmer-addresses-kidnapping-plot

“President Trump has continually condemned white supremacists and all forms of hate," wrote White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany in a statement. "Governor Whitmer is sowing division by making these outlandish allegations. America stands united against hate and in support of our federal law enforcement who stopped this plot.”

13407507, lmao
Posted by T Reynolds, Thu Oct-08-20 04:09 PM
no fucking shame
13407508, What the fuck
Posted by Amritsar, Thu Oct-08-20 04:12 PM
13407511, Ha I said earlier to my friends on e-mail "how long before ..
Posted by Brew, Thu Oct-08-20 04:19 PM
.. 45 defends them on twitter ?"

Wasn't Twitter but .. 4 hours.
13407526, ***Erik Prince puts his hands in his pockets and walks away***
Posted by Castro, Thu Oct-08-20 05:22 PM
13407571, ^^^^^^^^
Posted by Amritsar, Fri Oct-09-20 07:50 AM
13407527, Anyone else wonder how close they actually got?
Posted by GOMEZ, Thu Oct-08-20 05:23 PM
It's not at all relevant to how shitty of people they are, or the punishment they deserve, or even the overall threat that right wing terror orgs pose.

I'm just curious if these maniacs almost for real kidnapped a governor.
13407537, The affidavit (In reply 6) lays it all out. Not close at all
Posted by navajo joe, Thu Oct-08-20 06:41 PM
They were very serious about it but not exactly Seal Team Six but this group was well-infiltrated.


13407541, somewhat reassuring, but still pretty crazy
Posted by GOMEZ, Thu Oct-08-20 06:54 PM
13407543, it was closer than most of these FBI stings
Posted by Rjcc, Thu Oct-08-20 07:47 PM
where the CI basically tricks someone with a learning disability into asking for explosives

these guys wanted to do something

but they invited a fucking informant in from the jump

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at
13407551, What’s worrisome is when the digital natives step into leadership roles
Posted by Amritsar, Thu Oct-08-20 08:38 PM
Sure maybe some of these guys were technically digital natives. they’re the types who know how to use FB groups and maybe encrypted messages


I worry more so about the next wave.
13407554, Also, you should be concerned. There are people with more sophistication
Posted by navajo joe, Thu Oct-08-20 08:53 PM
legitimate training, resources, and discipline. There are groups and individuals who have the capabilities to orchestrate attacks as we've seen here and around the world.

Hell, an incel just killed the husband and son of a federal judge few short weeks ago.

It's one of the reasons I don't play with politicians stoking disinfo aimed to incite these people to violence.

Violence from white terrorists and terrorist organizations is going to ramp up in conjunction with the election and its outcome. This is a problem that is not just going to go away. The question is how much worse will it get.
13407600, It's 100% concerning. A Q supporter touched a mob boss
Posted by GOMEZ, Fri Oct-09-20 10:31 AM
which is insane. It also goes to show how dangerous and random some of this violence can and will be.

I was just curious how close this particular group of mopes actually got.

13407572, Insomnia-fueled garbage thought:
Posted by T Reynolds, Fri Oct-09-20 07:55 AM
What if these motherfuckers are being funded by the current administration via layers of back-channels?
13407579, Well,
Posted by navajo joe, Fri Oct-09-20 09:04 AM
Given that:

1. The President of the United States has given his approval to group likes these and has a history of inciting them to violence and then covering for them when they commit violence.

2. The Senate removed the term "white nationalist" from the list of terms used to screen out extremist groups from the military from the NDAA before passing it.


3. Brian Murphy filed a whistleblower complaint against leadership at The Department of Homeland Security, chiefly Deputy Director Ken Cucinelli, stating he was told to misrepresent threat assessments to downplay the role of white nationalists and include left-wing organizations and Antifa to fit the Administration's narrative. And that a threat assessment from spring of 2020 was blocked entirely because it focused on white supremacist terrorism and Russian election interference as being key threats to America's security. Murphy's complaint states that he was asked revamp sections of that report to minimize the threat.

4. Stephen Miller

5. Also, let's call the Trump Campaign's organization of an army of his supporters what it is a white terrorist organization. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/08/trump-election-poll-watching-427008

I'll stop there but given that the administration takes these actions, it would be unsurprising if it were to be revealed it took other actions. But do you really need to give a bunch of dumb crackers cash (which in this case, it is clear they did not) and risk exposure since many of these groups get infiltrated rather easily? It seems approve, incite, and remove barriers to entry to things like law enforcement and military while keeping the propaganda machine stirring up a fervor seems to be doing a bang up job as is.


That said, there is a documented history of international support for these groups particularly out of Russia and other European nations that are becoming increasingly far-right.
13407584, I believe tacit approval is already a given although hard to prove
Posted by T Reynolds, Fri Oct-09-20 09:27 AM
Just popped into my head that these guys might actually be materially supported as well

It apparently takes NYT to reveal the Trump administration's paper trail, seems this stuff is easier to hide than we would think.

At the same time there were plenty of quarantine protests that were astroturfed by outside orgs in MI so these militias might just as easily be financially backed by groups outside the administration proper.

But I see your point that in this case, it's not even necessary.

>Given that:
>
>1. The President of the United States has given his approval
>to group likes these and has a history of inciting them to
>violence and then covering for them when they commit
>violence.
>
>2. The Senate removed the term "white nationalist" from the
>list of terms used to screen out extremist groups from the
>military from the NDAA before passing it.

DoD has been left out of a lot of political discussion as far as Trump cronyism, but it falls under executive. From looking up recent news it looks like Esper is not a groveling dog for Trump at least.

>3. Brian Murphy filed a whistleblower complaint against
>leadership at The Department of Homeland Security, chiefly
>Deputy Director Ken Cucinelli, stating he was told to
>misrepresent threat assessments to downplay the role of white
>nationalists and include left-wing organizations and Antifa to
>fit the Administration's narrative. And that a threat
>assessment from spring of 2020 was blocked entirely because it
>focused on white supremacist terrorism and Russian election
>interference as being key threats to America's security.
>Murphy's complaint states that he was asked revamp sections of
>that report to minimize the threat.

Another forgotten episode smh.

>
>It seems approve, incite, and
>remove barriers to entry to things like law enforcement and
>military while keeping the propaganda machine stirring up a
>fervor seems to be doing a bang up job as is.

As are transparent public displays like the pardon of Eddie Gallagher.
Absolutely.
13407573, Oh Walker : https://twitter.com/sensen2011/status/1314554807789719556?s=21
Posted by Amritsar, Fri Oct-09-20 08:17 AM
https://twitter.com/sensen2011/status/1314554807789719556?s=21


The Venn diagram of the alt right and these types becomes clearer by the day
13407602, Funny how Walker wouldn't give that same leeway to minority communities.
Posted by Brew, Fri Oct-09-20 10:40 AM
13407575, This is WILD.
Posted by Brotha Sun, Fri Oct-09-20 08:25 AM
In any other year this would be the top story, but its 2020 and the absolute most is being done.


I dont know whats more dangerous, white men quarantined in the house with access to the internet, or white men outside the house.

13407589, This the shit I've been worrying about all through this
Posted by Damali, Fri Oct-09-20 09:56 AM
its why i wanted to leave the country by November...cuz the shit is gonna get worse if Trump loses

d
13407595, I hereby petition we only refer to her as Big Gretch from now on
Posted by Amritsar, Fri Oct-09-20 10:19 AM
13407648, Why? I think its disrespectful
Posted by ThaTruth, Fri Oct-09-20 12:32 PM
13407658, she likes the name
Posted by Mynoriti, Fri Oct-09-20 01:39 PM
dunno about 'only' but
https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/496022-whitmer-approves-new-track-and-nickname-from-local-rapper-big
13407663, cool, hopefully she gets a cabinet position to get out of that shithole
Posted by ThaTruth, Fri Oct-09-20 02:29 PM
13407665, haa nice... I thought it was a play on Big Meech
Posted by Amritsar, Fri Oct-09-20 02:32 PM
which in retrospect sounds kinda dumb on my part haha
13407664, is it... misogynistic or something?
Posted by Amritsar, Fri Oct-09-20 02:31 PM
legit curious


13407674, I'm definitely not the "misogynistic" police but it just sounds weird...
Posted by ThaTruth, Fri Oct-09-20 04:06 PM
>legit curious

but if she's supposedly cool with it I guess although its not like she could say anything else


13407635, Sooo we all agree that this hillbilly sheriff was part of the plot right
Posted by Brew, Fri Oct-09-20 12:01 PM
Also he is perhaps the frumpiest man ever to live.

https://twitter.com/rossjoneswxyz/status/1314581815815004160?s
13407645, soooo insane. mind bogglingly so.
Posted by GOMEZ, Fri Oct-09-20 12:27 PM
you can't just go around snatching people and calling it an arrest, man. That's dumb on the level of declaring yourself a sovereign citizen and thinking you don't owe taxes, but far more dangerous.

13407653, lmao, just happened to know the statute number off the top of his head
Posted by sectachrome86, Fri Oct-09-20 01:11 PM
Oh you know MCL76493827.25, I dont know, something like that

Edit: meant to reply to the post above
13407656, Right.. I wouldn’t be surprised if they asked him about citizen
Posted by legsdiamond, Fri Oct-09-20 01:22 PM
arrest if they can do it without having the book thrown at them while drinking beers at a VFW.

13407649, wow, hopefully the FBI is on his ass too
Posted by ThaTruth, Fri Oct-09-20 12:36 PM
13407652, Fam, sheriff's are always on OTHER shit
Posted by navajo joe, Fri Oct-09-20 01:01 PM
That sheriff, if not involved in the plot, is clearly a sympathizer and enabler of white terrorist groups.

Remember in LA where the sheriff's department was a white supremacist gang?

An excerpt from the Brennan Center's "Hidden in Plain Sight: Racism, White Supremacy, and Far-Right Militancy in Law Enforcement"

https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/hidden-plain-sight-racism-white-supremacy-and-far-right-militancy-law

"Recent reporting suggests this overtly racist gang activity within the sheriff’s department continues. footnote6 In 2019, Los Angeles County paid $7 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit against two sheriff’s deputies for shooting an unarmed Black man after testimony revealed that they were part of a group of deputies with matching tattoos in the tradition of earlier deputy gangs. A pending lawsuit accuses the same two officers of beating an unarmed Black man while yelling racial epithets. footnote7

A Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors investigation revealed that almost 60 lawsuits against alleged members of deputy gangs have cost the county about $55 million, which includes $21 million in cases over the last 10 years. These deputy gangs pose a threat to their fellow law enforcement officers as well, according to two recently filed lawsuits. In one, a deputy alleges he had been bullied by deputy gang members for five years, and finally viciously beaten by the gang’s enforcer. footnote8

In another, a deputy who witnessed the attack alleged he suffered threats and retaliation from deputy gang members after reporting it to an internal affairs tip line. footnote9 In 2019, the FBI reportedly initiated a civil rights investigation regarding gang activity at the sheriff’s department." footnote10


https://theappeal.org/claims-of-racism-brutality-dog-los-angeles-county-sheriff-deputy-gangs/

There are numerous LA Times links but they are behind paywall

13407676, I hope someone’s on it...
Posted by Trinity444, Fri Oct-09-20 04:25 PM
he just gave away their argument, lol

this some serious shit...

13407694, These talking points sound awfully similar no ?!
Posted by Brew, Fri Oct-09-20 09:06 PM
"'Rittenhouse, just like everyone else in America, is innocent until proven guilty and deserves a fair trial based on all the facts, not just the ones that support a certain narrative. This is why we try the accused in the court of law, not the star chamber of public opinion.'"

https://www.complex.com/life/2020/10/documents-reveal-trump-officials-told-to-speak-sympathetically-about-kyle-rittenhouse
13407766, Oh yeah - he is in on it.
Posted by SuiteLady, Sun Oct-11-20 11:43 AM
13407643, .
Posted by MEAT, Fri Oct-09-20 12:18 PM
.
13407646, have any liberals offered prayers yet?
Posted by Stadiq, Fri Oct-09-20 12:29 PM

Maybe if one of them catches COVID.
13407647, He basically said they had good reason to try and kidnap her.
Posted by legsdiamond, Fri Oct-09-20 12:29 PM
She got enemies.. smh.

No shit.
13407672, Somebody made the parallel between this and Breivik's full plot
Posted by navajo joe, Fri Oct-09-20 03:35 PM
https://twitter.com/iyad_elbaghdadi/status/1314637830379970562?s=20

The terror attack that Breivik pulled off was only part of his original plot. His original plan was to kidnap Norway's ex-prime minister, Gro Harlem Brundtland, and to stage a "trial" which ends with him executing her on camera (then posting the video)

Btw, why did Breivik want to target Gro Harlem Brundtland in particular? She was Norway's first female PM, and led the country for three terms during the 1980s and 1990s. She was left-leaning, and is credited with instituting a lot of liberal reforms.


A further parallel can be drawn to Trump's endless pursuit of trials for his "enemies" as well.

Always a trial unless it is an impeachment trial
13407687, These dudes were not too bright.
Posted by tonywashington, Fri Oct-09-20 07:21 PM
13407702, "Right-wing Militias Are Bracing For a Civil War"
Posted by mind_grapes, Sat Oct-10-20 03:01 AM
This article is too long to swipe, but it's a fascinating look at "the brains" behind these militias and how absolutely unhinged their leaders have become.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/11/right-wing-militias-civil-war/616473/
13407705, Great piece on the Oath Keepers / 3 Percenter movement
Posted by navajo joe, Sat Oct-10-20 06:56 AM
You've likely seen apparel, the patches and the flags, the bumper stickers.

These are the groups that law enforcement and military, crossfitters and MMA fighters advertise their support for with pride. Football player Justin Rohrwasser got rightfully called out over his 3 Percenter tattoo earlier this year.

13407760, turns out these guys were lefties
Posted by Willong, Sun Oct-11-20 09:15 AM
Broke bearded anarchists like the rest of the rioting crowd.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/kidnap-plot-whitmer-fox-militia/2020/10/09/ce81751a-0a65-11eb-9be6-cf25fb429f1a_story.html
13407761, Mods need to start banning accounts for willfully spreading misinfo
Posted by navajo joe, Sun Oct-11-20 09:48 AM
or misrepresenting information. That's unacceptable.

And for clarity, I'm not talking about the reactions of the world who buy into bullshit. You shouldn't be banned for being dumb or gullible.

You should be banned for willfully mischaracterizing information in hopes that people won't notice so that you can reframe the reality of the actual issue. That should have no place here.



Here's the full text of the article you posted since you were hoping people would be too lazy to clickthrough, motherfucker.

One of them attending a BLM protest (as did NUMEROUS right wing terrorist/boogaloo boys and every other shade of white supremacist) and handing out water bottles in Flint don't make you "lefties"

Lefties don't have confederate flags outside their homes, shitbird.



https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/kidnap-plot-whitmer-fox-militia/2020/10/09/ce81751a-0a65-11eb-9be6-cf25fb429f1a_story.html

Accused leader of plot to kidnap Michigan governor was struggling financially, living in basement storage space

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The purported leader of an extremist plot to kidnap Michigan's governor was struggling financially and living in a storage space underneath a friend's vacuum shop after his girlfriend kicked him out of her home, according to people who know him.

Court papers portray Adam Fox as the leader behind the plot to abduct Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, as she either exited or entered one of her vacation homes.

Federal and state officials announced Thursday that they had arrested Fox and five other men on charges related to the kidnapping plot. Seven other suspects were arrested by state law enforcement on charges of providing support to terrorist acts.

The plotters, according to an FBI affidavit, were motivated in part by their belief that state governments, including Michigan’s, were violating the U.S. Constitution by imposing restrictions to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus — and they referred to Whitmer as a tyrant. As their anger mounted, they trained together with firearms and experimented with explosives, discussing plans to storm the state capitol building and attack police officers in their homes, authorities said.

Fox had recently suffered personal setbacks in his life, and federal investigators often worry that in cases of domestic extremists and terrorists, such reversals can act as triggering events, propelling them to turn their violent ideas into action. In Fox’s case, there were two such issues – his apparently rocky relationship with his girlfriend and near homelessness.

In the 24 hours since Fox’s arrest, the store where he’d been living has been flooded with hate calls accusing the owner of enabling Fox, who was about to be homeless with two large dogs, before the business’ owner Brian Titus allowed Fox to stay temporarily, according to an employee of the store, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of privacy and safety concerns.

“People have said, ‘How did you not know you were housing a white supremacist?’ ” said the employee, who said Fox could be erratic and arrogant, but there was no indication his views crossed into the kind of violent plans described in court papers by federal investigators.

“He was afraid the government was going to take his guns,” the employee said. Those at the store were aware of Fox’s Second Amendment views and involvement with a group of armed men, which did not strike them as unusual for the area.

Support for local self-styled militia groups and the Second Amendment right to bear arms have a long history in the state, especially in western Michigan where strains of social and political conservatism intermingle with gun owner culture.

Titus, the owner of the Vac Shack, has stressed in interviews to local media he would have alerted officials if he had gotten wind of any plans to commit violence. He also said he didn’t know about a June 20 meeting in the basement of his store, described by the FBI in court papers, in which Fox and others allegedly discussed plans for attacking the state capital.

The store employee allowed The Washington Post to enter the basement, which was accessed through a cellar-door-style entrance, though authorities have called it a trap door. Fox had a small area in the basement where he slept amid boxes, old filing cabinets and spare vacuum parts. He kept a mini refrigerator and several large dog crates nearby, but appeared to have few personal belongings beyond some clothing. It was unclear what, if anything, federal agents might have confiscated at the time of his arrest.

One of alleged plotters, 23-year-old Daniel Harris, attended a Black Lives Matter protest in June, telling the Oakland County Times he was upset about the killing of George Floyd and police violence.

Parker Douglas, a lawyer for Harris, said his client was a former Marine who lived at home with his parents and did construction work. Douglas said Harris told him some things described in the FBI affidavit were taken out of context while others he “thinks just didn’t happen.” Douglas said his client believes “not everybody mentioned in this knew everything that is described in this complaint.” He said his client, in a brief meeting, had suggested he had voted for candidates from both parties, had not expressed a view on President Trump and seemed to favor small government.

Authorities in Michigan said six of the seven people facing state terrorism charges have been arraigned, while the seventh is awaiting extradition from South Carolina. The six others facing federal charges have court appearances scheduled next week.

The seven people charged in Michigan were described by Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office as members or associates of a self-styled militia group called the “Wolverine Watchmen.” Bond for three of them — Eric Molitor, 36; Michael Null, 38; and William Null, 38 — was set at $250,000. Shawn Fix, 38, was arraigned Friday and given the same bond. All four are facing charges of providing material support for terrorist acts and carrying or possessing a firearm during commission of a felony.

Two others — Joseph Morrison, 26, and his father-in-law, Pete Musico, 42 — were arraigned Thursday and both given $10 million cash bond. They each face the same charges as the others as well as additional counts of a threat of terrorism and gang membership.

The seventh person facing state charges, 21-year-old Paul Bellar, was arrested in Columbia, S.C., and Nessel’s office is seeking to extradite him so he can be arraigned in Michigan. He faces charges of material support for terrorist acts, gang membership and carrying or possessing a gun during commission of a felony.

In Munith, Mich., where Fox’s associates allegedly trained at the home where Morrison and Musico both lived, neighbors said the one-acre property was well-known for a regular cacophony of gunfire and explosions.

Neighbors Pam and Roger Karshnock said men in camouflage fatigues parked their cars and trucks along the road and fired rifles and other weapons, they said, rattling residents whose children play in the woods.

But in the past four months, the noise would come like clockwork: Every Sunday from 5 to 7 p.m. the group fired hundreds of rounds on the land, the couple said.

On Wednesday, hours before law enforcement raided the home, a blast shook the Karshnock’s windows, they said, leading them to later believe it was a test of a homemade explosive.

It was unclear if all of the men facing state charges had attorneys. Philip C. Curtis, an attorney representing Musico, said he was appointed late Friday afternoon, had not met with his client yet and did not have any comment. George D. Lyons, who is representing Morrison, also declined to comment.

At the Morrison residence Friday, a reporter could see windows smashed out of a trailer and a Confederate flag hanging outside. The arrests were a relief for some neighbors, but others were not confident it was the end of activity there.

“They locked two of them up. But they got family and friends,” said a woman in passing. “This ain’t over.”

Thomas O’Connor, a former FBI agent who spent decades investigating domestic extremists, said the most concerning element of the case is the sheer number of individuals arrested.

“In recent years, the incidents of violence or potential violence coming from extremist elements has often been one-off lone offenders, or very small numbers of people,” O’Connor said. “It’s disturbing to see 13 people charged, that that many people have the belief system putting them to the point where they are willing to commit violence.”

The arrests in Michigan could be the start of a busy time for the FBI, as it tries to prevent violence after a turbulent summer of civil unrest now facing a highly partisan national election.

O’Connor said that before major events, such as an election or political convention, FBI agents will often review their outstanding cases to see if subjects under investigation are preparing to commit violence.

“Whenever you have an event which could potentially be a trigger for people to act, you have to scrub your investigations to make sure that you don’t have someone that trigger will send into action,” he said. “I’m sure people are concerned inside law enforcement and outside law enforcement that the election cycle is potentially a trigger for a person with extreme views that might take steps toward violence.”

O’Connor said the case, built on the work of informants who secretly recorded the alleged plotting, could help dissuade any other would-be terrorists from trying to conduct politically motivated violence.

“Historically, the fear of infiltration by human sources has made groups eat their young, and can cause the groups to break up because they start seeing informants behind every door,” O’Connor said. “That’s not a bad thing.”

One of the men charged, William Null, had appeared in public with a local law enforcement official.

Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf said he met Null several years ago when Null came to his office to vent about the Black Lives Matter movement. Leaf said Null wanted to start his own cause: My Life Matters, which he would eventually turn into what he called the Michigan Liberty Militia.

Leaf said he would periodically run into Null at gun rights rallies in the state, and he “seemed to be a very concerned, straight shooting guy.” During the Flint water crisis, Leaf said, Null told him he drove to Flint to pass out water bottles alongside those involved in the Black Lives Matter movement.

Leaf said that in May, he was invited to speak at a protest of Whitmer’s coronavirus restrictions, and Null and others associated with him provided security. Leaf, who is opposed to the restrictions and what he views as government overreach, said he invited Null on stage to make a point about self-described militias being the last line of defense for people’s rights if government fails. Leaf said he had no indication that Null was plotting to kidnap Whitmer, or that he was capable of that.

“That’s why this is so shocking to me,” Leaf said. “I did not see this coming. Had I caught wind they were even talking about this, I would have stopped it immediately.”
13407763, i noticed more 'progressives' doing the 'economic anxiety' thing
Posted by Reeq, Sun Oct-11-20 09:56 AM
to explain away white racism/terrorism.

https://twitter.com/WalkerBragman/status/1314343175960567808

nobody gets hit by economic hardship worse than black people.

oddly you dont see a bunch of us plotting to overthrow the government or kill off a bunch of white people.
13407767, It's like the people who say bullying causes school shootings.
Posted by Frank Longo, Sun Oct-11-20 12:19 PM
Like, hardship puts fuel on a fire, no doubt... but it ain't what lights it. There are tens of thousands of homeless people who aren't trying to engage in domestic terrorism, lol. That guy had a house and the money to buy night vision goggles and shit.

So when people ask "what about the role of economic struggles?!?!" they're basically just saying "anything but racism, please God." And, like, what's the point of trying to argue that today? It's so blatant. We know what it is. Stop trying to pretend the world isn't the way it is.
13407810, That Venn Diagram.
Posted by Amritsar, Mon Oct-12-20 07:30 AM
13408853, RE: i noticed more 'progressives' doing the 'economic anxiety' thing
Posted by Willong, Mon Oct-19-20 06:04 AM
Economic hardship has long been the excuse for areas with high rates of violent crime. Welcome to PoliSci101.
13408923, i'll wait for the waves of black and brown terrorists with similar plots then
Posted by Amritsar, Mon Oct-19-20 02:48 PM
might be here for a while though


long enough that you all will be an after thought in the discourse
13408948, RE: i'll wait for the waves of black and brown terrorists with similar plots then
Posted by Willong, Mon Oct-19-20 10:21 PM
White lefty anarchists have been doing this for over 100 years. This is boilerplate. Gain knowledge.
13408955, And it’s all credited to their economic anxieties. Lmao
Posted by Amritsar, Tue Oct-20-20 05:55 AM
Again I don’t blame you. I blame your father for how he raised you
13409194, RE: And it’s all credited to their economic anxieties. Lmao
Posted by Willong, Tue Oct-20-20 09:20 PM
By your marxist profs? No. Doesn't happen.

"White" people are the only people with agency. Everyone else has some external excuse for violence.

Attributing "economic hardship" excuse to whites is a recent and yet still rare phenomenon.
13409217, LOL yes white people have it really tough.
Posted by Brew, Wed Oct-21-20 08:51 AM
13407765, I wonder how the Russian bots determine how and when ..
Posted by Brew, Sun Oct-11-20 11:23 AM
... to take over an old OKP account.
13407798, that's been this dude's schtick for a while
Posted by Mynoriti, Sun Oct-11-20 09:44 PM
he pops up every 6 months to make a comment about 'the left' then runs away.

don't expect him to defend this dumb shit. he'll be back in 2021

13407776, turns out you are LYING
Posted by blackfoot_female, Sun Oct-11-20 05:02 PM
gtfoh
13408854, RE: turns out you are LYING
Posted by Willong, Mon Oct-19-20 06:06 AM
Turns out the guy had an anarchist flag in his room. No chance he wasn’t a leftist radical.
13408889, Can we not ban these low post trolls?
Posted by handle, Mon Oct-19-20 11:35 AM
Dude's intentionally low IQ.
13407809, I don’t blame you
Posted by Amritsar, Mon Oct-12-20 07:29 AM
I blame your father for the way he raised you
13407835, GTFOH Will-Dong
Posted by Dr Claw, Mon Oct-12-20 09:31 AM
13407940, Eric Trump cancels campaign event at gun shop where plotter worked
Posted by navajo joe, Mon Oct-12-20 05:22 PM
Those pesky lefties!

I hope mods will actually take people spreading misinformation seriously and start clamping down on that bullshit.

https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2020/10/12/eric-trump-cancels-event-at-michigan-gun-shop-after-former-employee-is-linked-to-domestic-terror-plot-against-governor/



13408888, Imagine being this dumb
Posted by Hitokiri, Mon Oct-19-20 11:22 AM
lol
13408693, Video of Terrorists training and social media evidence released
Posted by navajo joe, Sat Oct-17-20 09:35 AM
https://twitter.com/ReardonReports/status/1317241836038217728?s=20
13408911, Pull up on the governor's mansion in a PT Cruiser
Posted by sectachrome86, Mon Oct-19-20 02:11 PM
13408921, the plan to bomb an overpass is scary
Posted by Amritsar, Mon Oct-19-20 02:46 PM
these guys appear to have been more tactical and organized than I had initially thought


the communication stuff is obviously still stupid though. One thing i've learned is the Feds monitor the shit out of FB groups
13408950, RE: Video of Terrorists training and social media evidence released
Posted by Willong, Mon Oct-19-20 10:41 PM

https://twitter.com/ReardonReports/status/1317242778586370048

The radical lefties were anti-police, of course.
13408961, The extreme right and the extreme left look the same to stupid people
Posted by T Reynolds, Tue Oct-20-20 07:19 AM
There have been tons of article written about neo-nazis showing up at BLM rallies

Does that mean they're on the same team?

Boogaloo Boys are also anti-police, and there is more in common with Boogaloo Boys and other white supremacist organizations than there are between anti-fascists and these right-wing militias.

Luckily there are people doing actual journalism out there to counter idiots getting all their news from Twitter.
13409195, RE: The extreme right and the extreme left look the same to stupid people
Posted by Willong, Tue Oct-20-20 09:24 PM
>There have been tons of article written about neo-nazis
>showing up at BLM rallies

Irrelevant

>
>Does that mean they're on the same team?
>
>Boogaloo Boys are also anti-police, and there is more in
>common with Boogaloo Boys and other white supremacist
>organizations than there are between anti-fascists and these
>right-wing militias.

Irrelevant

>
>Luckily there are people doing actual journalism out there to
>counter idiots getting all their news from Twitter.

Unfortunately i have offered two pieces of evidence they are lefties. They fly an anarchist flag and they are anti-police. Where is the "journalism" linking them to right wing ideology?
13409224, Anarchism does not equate to being a lefty. Neither does being
Posted by T Reynolds, Wed Oct-21-20 09:25 AM
a cop-hater.

As you conceded below, the Boogaloo movement is anti-cop and also right-adjacent.

Here is a link to the wiki for anarcho-capitalism:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarcho-capitalism

An anarchist flag does not mean 'leftist'. It can also point to libertarian tendencies.

You are willfully ignorant if you believe one flag disproves all of the recent articles on right-wing militias.

Check Washington Post, NY Times, The Atlantic, I'm not going to link every single piece of journalism I've read in the last 2 weeks.
13409320, Came out of hiding and tripled down
Posted by Lurkmode, Wed Oct-21-20 02:12 PM
on disinfo.
13408971, 1. The backward black and white flag implies US Military
Posted by bentagain, Tue Oct-20-20 08:07 AM
2. They're taking their marching order...liberate michigan...from Trumpster

3. But don't take our word for it, the Michigan AG called them white supremicist
https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/10/08/921923955/michigan-ag-says-white-supremacist-groups-behind-plot-to-kidnap-gov-whitmer

"The people that we charged are affiliated with this Wolverine Watchmen group," Nessel said, adding that it is a Michigan-based group. "But there are multiple white supremacy groups and militia groups that have been acting in accordance with one another."

Boogaloo is not a 'leftie' movement

...carry on...
13409196, RE: 1. The backward black and white flag implies US Military
Posted by Willong, Tue Oct-20-20 09:29 PM
>2. They're taking their marching order...liberate
>michigan...from Trumpster

Proof?
>
>3. But don't take our word for it, the Michigan AG called them
>white supremicist
>https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/10/08/921923955/michigan-ag-says-white-supremacist-groups-behind-plot-to-kidnap-gov-whitmer

Wow, you'll lap up whatever a mass-incarcerator spews out.

>
>"The people that we charged are affiliated with this Wolverine
>Watchmen group," Nessel said, adding that it is a
>Michigan-based group. "But there are multiple white supremacy
>groups and militia groups that have been acting in accordance
>with one another."
>
>Boogaloo is not a 'leftie' movement
>
>...carry on...

I agree with both quoted statements. Doesn't change the fact they are anarchist cop-haters.
13409222, So you're pro cop but anti Attorney General?
Posted by T Reynolds, Wed Oct-21-20 09:20 AM
You realize they work together right?

Noticed that a lot with you MAGA types.