A man charged with aiding Michigan Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot says the scheme didn’t seem serious

By ED WHITE
Associated Press

One of three men accused of assisting a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is testifying in his own defense. Eric Molitor told jurors that he was scared when he joined a daytime ride to see Whitmer’s vacation home in northern Michigan in 2020. He says he didn’t initially know it was Whitmer’s property. Molitor and two other men are charged with providing material support for terrorist acts. They’re accused of aiding the leaders of a kidnapping scheme. Social media posts and text messages show the group was outraged over COVID-19 restrictions. Evidence has also revealed strident anti-government views and calls for a civil war. Nine men have been convicted.