Man in Gov. Whitmer plot trial talked about hanging leaders

By ED WHITE
Associated Press

Jurors have seen provocative social media posts written by a key figure charged in a plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor. They include a photo of a noose and a question: Which governor is going to be “dragged off and hung for treason first?” Federal prosecutors are getting close to finishing their case after 12 days of trial in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They’re now trying to show that four men charged with conspiring to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 were committed to a plan without influence by informants or undercover agents. Barry Croft Jr., a trucker from Bear, Delaware, regularly vented on Facebook about public officials when some governors, including Whitmer, were issuing stay-home orders and other restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.