Jury hears man discuss plan to abduct Mich. Gov. Whitmer

By MICHAEL TARM, ED WHITE and SARA BURNETT
Associated Press

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Prosecutors have played covertly recorded audio for jurors in which a man charged in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer specifically mentions abducting the Democrat. In the recording made in mid-July 2020 in Wisconsin, Barry Croft Jr. describes the possibility of using explosives to “rain down” fire on law enforcement “with a team standing by” to grab Whitmer. He adds without providing details about any plan, that they should execute “a quick precise grab.” Four men are on trial in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for the alleged plot. Prosecutors say they were angry about pandemic restrictions Whitmer imposed. Defense attorneys say the men were big talkers who were entrapped by government informants and FBI agents.