Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot
On October 8, 2020, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced the arrests of 13 men suspected of orchestrating a domestic terror plot to kidnap American politician Gretchen Whitmer, the Governor of Michigan, and otherwise using violence to overthrow the state government. Half of the suspects were tied to a paramilitary militia group that called themselves the Wolverine Watchmen. Six of the suspects were charged in federal court, while the other seven were charged with state crimes. A week later, a fourteenth suspect was arrested and charged in state court. One man has pleaded guilty  while two have been acquitted. Two additional suspects' trials ended in a hung jury, and prosecutors have announced they will re-try them. Background. Prior concerns about militia and far-right groups. Preceding the 2020 United States elections, law enforcement officials, members of Congress, and groups tracking extremism in the country warned about the increasing threat potential from militia and far-right groups. The Anti-Defamation League identified Michigan as a state where the modern militia movement found its roots and where a number of militia groups remain active. However, Jon Lewis, a research fellow at the Program on Extremism  at George Washington University, said the Wolverine Watchmen group, which the suspects were members of, "flew under the radar", adding, "This is simply not a big group that we'd ever heard of." The alleged plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer developed from June through September. Within the week preceding the Wolverine Watchmen arrests, there were at least three other state and federal arrest operations linked to the Boogaloo movement, which the Wolverine Watchmen group's ideology adhered to. COVID-19 pandemic and mitigation measures in Michigan. Whitmer, the main target of the plot, had seen her political profile elevated over  the preceding months due to her early response to the outbreak of COVID-19 in Michigan, in which she enacted strict mitigation measures such as a lockdown of the state. She became a target of criticism from far-right groups, and her measures triggered protests in April and May. President Donald Trump offered his support for the protests, derisively calling Whitmer "that woman from Michigan" and tweeting on April 17: "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" Two weeks later, on April 30, armed protesters stormed the Michigan State Capitol. Ultimately, on October 2, 2020, the Michigan Supreme Court made two rulings in response to the  measures: a 4–3 ruling that declared a 1945 law allowing Whitmer to enact the measures was unconstitutional, and a unanimous ruling that declared a 1976 act did not give Whitmer the power to enact the measures without legislative approval. This put uncertainty over enforcement of the measures and forced the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services – and later, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration – to circumvent it by ordering similar measures, even after the alleged plot was made public. Suspects. The suspects were tied to a paramilitary militia group that called themselves the Wolverine Watchmen. The group was  co-founded by suspects Pete Musico and Joseph Morrison; the latter is considered the group's "commander". An NBC News investigation into the suspects' social media profiles found links between their ideologies and those of the broader boogaloo movement. The Wolverine Watchmen group had been recruiting members on Facebook from November 2019 until June 2020, when Facebook began purging all boogaloo-related material. The suspects named in the federal indictment, charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping, were Adam Fox, Ty Garbin, Barry Croft, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris, and Brandon Caserta. Five of the men were Michigan residents, while the sixth , Croft, was from Delaware. Adam Fox and Barry Croft were accused of being the ringleaders of the plot. The suspects charged with state crimes, including providing material support for terrorist acts, firearm crimes, and gang membership, were Wolverine Watchmen founders Musico and Morrison, along with Shawn Fix, Eric Molitor, Michael Null, William Null, and Paul Bellar. At least four of the 13 suspects had attended prior rallies at the Michigan State Capitol. On October 15, a fourteenth suspect, Brian Higgins of Wisconsin, was charged at the state level with material support of an act of terrorism. Garbin pleaded guilty on  January 27, 2021 and agreed to testify against his five alleged co-conspirators. Timeline of events. Initial investigations. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported that they became aware of group chats on social media in early 2020 threatening to conduct the violent overthrow of state governments and law enforcement. A U.S. Army veteran, "Dan", had joined the group but became concerned about their use of a hunting app that could be used to track the addresses of police officers. He informed a friend and a local officer from an unidentified police department in Michigan, who then relayed the concerns  to the FBI. During the initial investigation of social media chats, the FBI said that they encountered Barry Croft and Adam Fox. The FBI then interviewed "Dan", who agreed to become a confidential source after they raised concerns that there were plans to kill officers. According to many of the alleged plotters, as detailed in a report by "BuzzFeed News", their first meetings were arranged by someone who turned out to be a longtime government informant from Wisconsin, who paid for hotel rooms and food as incentives. On March 30, Pete Musico, a co-founder of the Wolverine Watchmen, allegedly  made a comment about placing Whitmer under citizen's arrest and numerous other statements on tape that prosecutors later said had indicated "a violent intent". Intentions by the group to obtain Whitmer's address reportedly went as far back as April 19, according to court records. That same month, the Wolverine Watchmen allegedly built a fake house with PVC tubing, referred to as a "kill house", and "Dan" showed them how to push inside the building and clear the rooms; according to "Dan", Musico would circle the fake house and pretend to wait for Whitmer so he could "catch that  bitch as she came out the emergency exit." On April 30, all members of the group attended an armed protest at the Michigan State Capitol, which prosecutors said was the beginning of opportunities to conduct surveillance. "Dan" reportedly heard "whispers" about storming the State Capitol during this time, but this did not happen when Michigan State Police officers stood down and granted the protesters access to the building. On May 8, the FBI obtained a federal search warrant to review Croft's Facebook account. Agents found messages "plotting potential acts of violence", including a May 3 post referencing a male  individual who "may be first" and was wanted "in custody"; the FBI claims this individual was South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster. The plot was reportedly hatched in an official capacity on June 6, among a group of about a dozen individuals meeting in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb located northwest of Columbus. A confidential source at the meeting reported that the group primarily sought to establish a new, self-reliant society that adhered to the U.S. Bill of Rights. Participants reportedly discussed peaceful and violent actions of achieving this goal, with talks shifting to how state governments were allegedly violating the  U.S. Constitution, how "tyrants" should be killed, and that those present should return home to recruit neighbors. The FBI subsequently began infiltrating the group online and in person with additional informants in June, according to a criminal complaint. A total of twelve informants were ultimately involved in the investigation, according to a federal court filing obtained by "BuzzFeed News". Starting at that point, the FBI began compiling photographs, video footage, telephone calls, and encrypted messages made by the suspects and storing them as evidence on a USB flash drive. The content, said to consist of "hundreds of hours of undercover  audio recordings and more than 13,000 pages of encrypted text messages", was released by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan on October 16. Recruitment. After the Ohio meeting, Fox allegedly contacted the militia – already being investigated by the FBI – seeking assistance for the plot. On June 14, the militia held a field training exercise. That day, Fox contacted one confidential source in a recorded phone call, detailing the Ohio meeting, and he requested "200 men" to attack the State Capitol in order to take Whitmer and others as hostages and to hold a "trial" for the  governor, accusing her of treason. During the call, Fox reportedly said to the source that the operation had to occur prior to the 2020 United States presidential election. During a Second Amendment event at the State Capitol on June 18, Fox was recorded by a confidential source attempting to recruit militia group leaders to unite in an effort to attack the State Capitol. Two days later on June 20, Fox invited individuals, including one confidential source, to where he was employed in Grand Rapids. According to the source, Fox collected cellphones to prevent recordings and led participants through a trapdoor  from the main floor, though the source wore a concealed recording device unknown to those gathered. Audio from the meeting provided to the FBI contained discussions of an assault on the Capitol, how to counterattack first responders, and the use of Molotov cocktails to destroy law enforcement vehicles. It was concluded that the group would meet on the first weekend of July, where they would discuss plans and perform training exercises. In a June 25 Facebook video captured by the FBI, Fox held a livestream criticizing the justice system, the Government of Michigan and the state's order closing gyms , calling Whitmer a "tyrant bitch" and stating to viewers, "I don't know, boys, we gotta do something. You guys link with me on our other location system, give me some ideas of what we can do". Training and planning. Initial assault plan. The FBI alleges that training first occurred on June 28 in Munith, Michigan at a militia member's property, with Fox, his girlfriend, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Caserta, and a confidential source participating in the exercises. Participants were reportedly told to leave if they felt uncomfortable with attacking the government and participating in kidnapping. According to  Musico's defense attorney, Fox started making comments about storming the State Capitol during this training session, but there was no agreement from the other members, and Musico expressed concern about the plan's tactical viability, saying, "It's a fishbowl." Court documents released on November 13 alleged that in addition to storming the State Capitol, there were plans of executing hostages and televising them over the course of a week, or locking people inside the building, while the Legislature was in session, and setting it on fire with the intention of leaving no survivors. According to Musico's attorney , from that day to October 1, there was no activity from the Wolverine Watchmen due to a fight between Fox and Musico and Musico's eventual departure from the group. However, the FBI's confidential source for the investigation said that participants met for weapons exercises in Cambria, Wisconsin, between July 10 and 12, with Croft, Garbin, and a militia member attempting to make an improvised explosive device (IED) on July 11, though the device was defective. Franks also brought a rifle equipped with a silencer, firing it at the time. At a second meeting in Ohio held on July  18, audio collected by a confidential source revealed discussions of attacking a Michigan State Police station, though Garbin rejected plans of an assault on the Capitol building, instead suggesting to attack Whitmer's family vacation home on Birch Lake in Elk Rapids. In a July 14 call recorded by a source, Fox said he researched the governor's office, concluding that Whitmer would not be present there and was heard saying, "In all honesty right now ... I just wanna make the world glow, dude. I'm not even fuckin' kidding. I just wanna make it all glow dude. I do n't fuckin' care anymore, I'm just so sick of it. That's what it's gonna take for us to take it back, we're just gonna have to everything's gonna have to be annihilated, man. We're gonna topple it all, dude. It's what great frickin' conquerors, man, we're just gonna conquer every fuckin' thing man." In a July 26 call with a confidential source, Fox said "Maybe we should just make a bunch of cupcakes and send them out", with the source interpreting this as Fox seeking to initiate  a "widespread bombing campaign", according to the FBI. Whitmer vacation home plans. Fox invited participants to his Grand Rapids location on July 27, where a confidential source provided recordings of discussions that shifted to kidnapping Whitmer when she was arriving at, or leaving, either her personal vacation home or the Michigan Governor's Summer Residence on Mackinac Island. According to the FBI, in sourced audio, Fox could be heard saying, "Snatch and grab, man. Grab the fuckin' Governor. Just grab the bitch. Because at that point, we do that, dude -- it's over." Fox was also heard in the recording  suggesting that the group hire a realtor to find Whitmer's exact residence, collecting information on the surrounding area and recruiting individuals skilled with information technology and demolitions. Participants met in Munith a second time for training on August 9, and afterwards, they communicated via group calls and chats monitored by a confidential source. In these communications, Fox suggested researching the governor's residence in Lansing and destroying Whitmer's boat. Harris said in a chat, "Have one person go to her house. Knock on the door and when she answers it just cap her ... at this point. Fuck it . ... I mean ... fuck, catch her walking into the building and act like a passers-by and fixing dome her then yourself." During further chats on August 18, participants concentrated on finding the Whitmer family's vacation home and planned on how to escape the area by boat. Surveillance begins. On August 23, participants met at Harris' home in Lake Orion, where a secret recording was captured of the group discussing surveillance of the vacation home and Franks shared that he spent nearly $4,000 on night vision goggles and a helmet. A source captured audio of an August 29 surveillance  operation, where Fox drove by the Whitmer family's vacation home, took photographs, and discussed response times of police in the area, with Fox allegedly heard saying, "We ain't gonna let 'em burn our fuckin' state down. I don't give a fuck if there's only 20 or 30 of us, dude, we'll go out there and use deadly force." The next day on August 30, the FBI said screen captures of the group chat showed Garbin suggesting the demolition of a bridge over the Elk River, near the vacation home, to slow and distract police . Due to recommendation of the Michigan State Police and the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget, the construction of a $1.1 million barrier and electric fence at the Michigan Governor's Mansion in Lansing was announced on September 4 after weeks of construction, with spokeswoman Tiffany Brown saying "perimeter security and other safety upgrades" were being performed. Regarding the security upgrades, "The Detroit News" wrote "Whitmer, a Democrat who was first elected in 2018, has been the subject of menacing messages at Capitol demonstrations against her past COVID-19 stay-at-home orders", with the newspaper also citing other  threats against Whitmer. While driving in three vehicles–with an undercover FBI agent and confidential source present–from a group camp in Luther towards the vacation home on September 12 and early September 13, Croft allegedly suggested that the group attempt to kidnap Whitmer that night, though the idea was dismissed. According to the FBI, Croft and Fox, who were in the first vehicle, planned on detonating a bomb on a bridge of U.S. Route 31 in Elk Rapids, photographing the underside of the bridge, and deciding where to place explosives. The group in the first vehicle then drove to  a boat launch across the lake from the vacation home, waiting for a second vehicle to conduct surveillance on the location. The third vehicle, which was also occupied by an undercover agent, was tasked with monitoring for any followers or suspicious activity in the area. On the way back to Garbin's property, the group discussed abandoning the kidnapping plan and instead destroying the vacation home entirely. Plans finalize. At a discussion recorded at Garbin's property on September 13, Fox said the plan would strictly be a kidnapping, with the end result reportedly being either the abandonment of Whitmer  on a boat in Lake Michigan or her being subjected to a trial as a "tyrant" in Wisconsin. When a plan to destroy the bridge leading to the lake in order to slow down responding security and police officers were raised, an undercover agent told Fox that the explosives necessary for destroying the bridge would cost about $4,000. The group decided that a final training exercise would be conducted later in October, though Fox pushed for an earlier date the following day. Fox ordered the explosives from the undercover agent that same day. Also on that day, Croft and  Harris detonated an IED containing shrapnel near human silhouette targets to test its effectiveness. On October 2, Fox told a confidential source that he purchased an 800,000-volt taser to be used for the kidnapping. That same month, he reportedly contacted Musico, who advocated for a nonviolent approach. Fox, Garbin, Harris, and Franks planned to meet with an undercover FBI agent to purchase explosives on October 7, though Caserta did not attend due to work obligations, while Croft returned to Delaware prior to the meeting. The prosecution was hampered in that an abduction date was never determined and the plot 's details varied among the witnesses. Arrests. All of the members involved were arrested on the night of October 7, and charges were filed against them the next day. Search warrants and arrests were executed all across Michigan. The arrests were reportedly part of a planned effort between federal and state authorities, launched after evidence was discovered indicating the suspects wanted to kidnap Whitmer before the 2020 election. At least seven FBI field offices, along with the operational divisions at the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C., were reportedly involved in coordinating the arrests. A week later, a fourteenth  suspect was arrested and charged in state court. The investigation also involved people from Baltimore to Kansas City. Several weapons and other items were seized, including at least 1,916 rounds of pistol, rifle, and shotgun ammunition; hundreds of firearms; extended magazines; various silencers; speedloaders; and bomb-making equipment. Legal proceedings. Federal. Six people (Adam Fox, Ty Garbin, Barry Croft, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris, and Brandon Caserta) were charged in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan for conspiring to commit kidnapping. The federal charges carry a potential sentence of life imprisonment if convictions are obtained. A  federal judge said the federal government had probable cause in the cases against five of the defendants and declared they could move forward to trial, while also denying bond to four of them. During a court hearing on October 13, an FBI agent testified that the conspirators had considered leaving Whitmer in a boat in the middle of Lake Michigan and disabling its motor. He also testified that the group had discussed, during early stages of the planning, kidnapping Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, who had also imposed strict lockdown orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This prompted the FBI  to notify members of Northam's security staff about the potential threat. On October 26, federal prosecutors announced the FBI had found "explosive device components" and ghost guns and are considering adding federal terrorism charges after they are analyzed by experts. On October 28, an unsealed search warrant revealed that some of the defendants had discussed South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster as another possible target during the early stages of planning in March. The warrant also revealed that, in late June, Croft had posted on Facebook a hit-list of politicians that he said he wanted to hang. The list  included the names of McMaster, President Trump, former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, former U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, other Democratic and Republican elected officials, liberals, Muslims, and "all anti-Americans". On October 30, Franks' attorney requested a judge to reconsider her decision to keep him imprisoned, saying he is diabetic and fears contracting COVID-19 in jail. On December 16, all six federal defendants were indicted by a grand jury. On January 1, 2021, Croft, who remains jailed in a Philadelphia federal prison, asked to be released while he awaited his court hearings , due to the constant delays in a prisoner transfer and the subsequently slow progress of the case against him. Federal prosecutors argued against releasing him, describing Croft as a "violent extremist" and saying such a decision would be "unreasonable". On January 15, 2021, a judge ordered all six defendants to stand trial on March 23. The trial date was later postponed to October 12. Croft, Fox, Harris, Franks, and Caserta pleaded not guilty to the charges. On January 27, 2021, Garbin pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit kidnapping. His sentencing is scheduled for July 8. As part of a plea  bargain, he agreed to testify against his co-defendants in exchange for no additional charges being filed against him by prosecutors. On April 28, 2021, federal prosecutors charged Fox, Croft, and Harris with conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, in relation to the explosives that Fox ordered from the undercover agent on September 13, 2020. On August 26, 2021, Garbin was sentenced to six years in prison and fined $2,500. In December 2021, the five remaining defendants (Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris, and Brandon Caserta) - who are still in custody - filed a motion to have  the charges against them dismissed on the grounds of entrapment. Robert Jonker, the Chief federal district court judge assigned to the case rejected the defense's motion to dismiss on January 26, 2022. Though Jonker is allowing the defense to argue entrapment to the jury, he stated, “at this pretrial stage, the Court concludes the defense has not demonstrated as a matter of law that Defendants’ wills were overcome by the actions of the government.” After Franks pled guilty in February, the trial of the remaining four defendants was scheduled to commence March 8, 2022. The trial was delayed by  a participant's positive COVID-19 test, and the court was scheduled to re-convene on March 17, 2022. On April 8, 2022, Caserta was acquitted of the only charge he faced and Harris was found not guilty on all charges, while Fox and Croft received a hung jury. The judge declared a mistrial and ordered Fox and Croft remain in jail until re-trial. State. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged seven other men (Pete Musico, Joseph Morrison, Shawn Fix, Eric Molitor, Michael Null, William Null, and Paul Bellar) with state crimes, including providing material support for terrorist acts, firearm  crimes, and gang membership. Two of the defendants were each set a bond of $10 million, with preliminary examinations scheduled for October 21. Musico's bond was later reduced to $100,000 after his attorney convinced the judge his role in the plot was overstated. On October 20, Bellar was charged with state crimes and was extradited from his home state of South Carolina for a formal trial. On November 10, Fix was released on a $250,000 bond. Three days later, bond was reduced for Morrison, Musico, and Bellar. Bellar was released on a $75,000 bond on  November 13. On October 15, Brian Higgins from Wisconsin was charged by Nessel with material support of an act of terrorism, which carries a 20-year sentence. On October 19, Higgins was released on bail, with one of the imposed restrictions being that he not try to make contact with the other 13 defendants. On November 18, his attorney announced his client's plans to challenge his extradition from Wisconsin to Michigan. The basis of the challenge was that the extradition paperwork was signed by Whitmer, the target of the alleged plot, thus creating a conflict of interest. On December  15, a judge in Columbia County, Wisconsin ruled there was enough probable cause for the transfer to occur. His extradition was delayed after his attorney filed an appeal on the ruling. On December 4, twin brothers Michael and William Null were released on bond. On December 18, a Jackson County judge denied a bond reduction request for Morrison, saying he could still pose a threat to the public. On January 14, 2021, Molitor was released on bond. On March 29, 2021, Morrison, Musico, and Bellar were bound over for trial after a three-day-long preliminary hearing. At the same  hearing, threat of terrorism charges were dismissed against Morrison and Musico; Bellar did not face that charge. On April 14, 2021, a judge lifted Michael and William Null's curfew and house arrest restrictions, but they were still required to wear GPS tethers. On June 7, 2021, Musico called for his case to be dismissed, arguing entrapment by federal authorities and the confidential informant and claiming he would not have associated himself with Fox without police interference. He also claimed the informant led the training sessions for the Wolverine Watchmen; an FBI agent said in March that he instructed the  informant to take on a leadership role during those sessions to prevent suspects from getting injured and thus requiring a law enforcement response while the Wolverine Watchmen were armed. Similar motions calling for the case's dismissal on the grounds of entrapment are also expected from Morrison and Bellar. Reactions. Whitmer's response. Whitmer spoke out during a livestream held after the thwarted plot was revealed by the FBI. She thanked the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation, called the plotters "sick and depraved men", and cast blame on President Trump for refusing to explicitly condemn far-right groups  and for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whitmer later urged in a tweet that the suspects be called domestic terrorists and not members of any militia organization. In an October 11 interview with "Face the Nation", she said security threats against her still existed and that extremists like the Wolverine Watchmen are "finding comfort and support in the rhetoric coming out of Republican leadership from the White House to our state House." Whitmer wrote about the plot in an opinion piece in "The Atlantic" on October 27, where she continued to blame Trump's rhetoric for causing divisiveness in  the country. Other political responses. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel called the plot "one of the largest cases in recent history" and labeled the case as "rather unprecedented" in nature. State Senator Mike Shirkey, Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield, and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine condemned the plot. Chatfield later criticized Whitmer for not warning state lawmakers in advance about the plotters' original intent to storm the Michigan State Capitol building. Delaware Governor John Carney, who pardoned one of the suspects in 2019, called the federal charges "disturbing" and said, "This is also another warning sign about the growing threat of  violence and radicalization in our politics." Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, who had also been discussed by the alleged plotters as a potential target, declined to comment about the details of the plot but said he and his family felt safe with the protection of the Virginia State Police. President Trump's responses. In an October 8 interview, President Trump criticized Whitmer for her rebuke of him in response to the kidnapping plot, saying he condemned all forms of "extreme violence" and calling for her to reopen her state. During that interview, Trump falsely claimed that Michigan's schools and churches  were closed under Whitmer's orders. In response to Trump's remarks, Whitmer said it "tells you everything you need to know" about the difference between him and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Biden also reacted to Trump's remarks on October 16, saying the "failure to condemn these folks is stunning." Trump continued to attack Whitmer for her COVID-19 mitigation measures at a rally in Muskegon on October 17, which was matched with chants of "Lock her up!", to which he replied, "Lock 'em all up." Trump's daughter-in-law Lara, a campaign surrogate, later insisted he was  merely "having fun" at the rally. In a subsequent interview with NBC's "Meet the Press", Whitmer called Trump's rhetoric "incredibly disturbing" and said it is "inspiring and incentivizing and inciting this kind of domestic terrorism". She also countered Trump's claims at the rally that she should relax the statewide COVID-19 restrictions, saying Michigan hasn't had a stay-at-home order since spring. At an October 27 rally in Lansing, Trump downplayed the alleged plot and continued the verbal attacks on Whitmer, which were also met with chants of "Lock her up!". Law enforcement responses. Since the  kidnapping plot at one point involved an intended attack on police, state law enforcement agencies were put on high alert in response. Statements by Barry County Sheriff. Dar Leaf, the elected sheriff of Barry County, Michigan, appeared to defend two of the suspects in an October 8 interview, saying that "a lot of people are angry with the governor, and they want her arrested. So are they trying to arrest or was it a kidnap attempt? Because you can still in Michigan if it's a felony, make a felony arrest." Citing the state's citizen's arrest statute, he  continued, "It doesn't say if you are an elected office that you're exempt from that arrest. I have to look at it from that angle and I'm hoping that's more what it is, in fact, these guys are innocent till proven guilty so I'm not even sure if they had any part of it." The interview went viral on the internet, along with the revelation that Leaf had shared the stage with one of the suspects at a May 18 anti-lockdown protest. Attorney General Nessel condemned the remarks as "dangerous", while a number of  other Michigan sheriffs expressed their outrage as well. Law experts disagreed with the notion that the Wolverine Watchmen were simply planning to conduct a legal citizen's arrest on Whitmer, saying it was far-fetched. Leaf later clarified his comments, claiming he simply wanted a fair trial for the accused and did not agree with their alleged actions, which he called "horrible". His earlier comments and his ties with one of the suspects during the anti-lockdown protest have spurred calls for him to resign. On October 13, Leaf acknowledged the criticism but said he will not resign. Michigan State  Capitol security concerns. Democrats in the Michigan Legislature renewed calls for a ban on guns in the State Capitol building in response to news of the plot, following an unsuccessful September proposal drafted in response to armed anti-lockdown protesters storming the building in April. On December 14, the day that Michigan's electors to the Electoral College were set to meet at the capital, authorities closed the Michigan State Capitol to the public and shuttered state legislators' offices in the wake of the alleged plot, following "credible threats of violence". The building was left open only to those needed  for the Electoral College. Earlier that day, State Representative Gary Eisen claimed there would be a "Hail Mary" effort regarding a plan to prevent electors from casting a vote. When asked if he can assure the public that it will be a safe day in Lansing, and that nobody would get hurt, Eisen replied, "No. I don't know. Because what we're doing today is uncharted." Shortly after the interview, Chatfield and Speaker-Elect Jason Wentworth released a statement disavowing any threat of violence or intimidation and announcing Eisen would be removed from his committee assignments for the rest  of the term. On January 11, 2021, Michigan banned the open carry of firearms on the State Capitol, citing the alleged plot and the storming of the United States Capitol. The ban was supported by both Democratic and Republican state lawmakers. On January 15, 2021, the Michigan National Guard was requested, and heavy fencing was put up around the State Capitol, in preparation for an armed protest two days later, on January 17. Other responses. A spokesperson for Facebook, which had been used by the suspects in plotting Whitmer's kidnapping, said the company would be cooperating with the FBI 's investigation. A scheduled October 13 campaign stop by Eric Trump at a Lyon Township gun store was moved to a banquet center in Novi after it was discovered one of the suspects had worked there for three weeks before being fired. The Wolverine Watchmen group was reportedly an offshoot of the Michigan Militia. The day after the suspects were arrested, the Michigan Militia issued a statement disavowing the group. Other Michigan-based militia groups also distanced themselves from the plotters' actions and intentions. The Michigan Home Guard, a militia that one of the suspects had once been a member  of before being kicked out earlier this year, released a statement condemning the Wolverine Watchmen's actions. Conspiracy theories about the alleged plot emerged on social media, falsely claiming the Wolverine Watchmen were anarchists affiliated with the antifa and Black Lives Matter movements. Some social media posts promoting the theories were flagged by Facebook as part of its anti-misinformation campaign, while PolitiFact rated the posts as "Mostly False".