3 Men Arrested For Plot to Kidnap Governor

(Cupventi.com) – Three individuals accused of conspiring to abduct Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 were declared innocent on Friday.

William Null, his twin brother Michael Null, and Eric Molitor were acquitted of charges related to supporting a terrorist act and weapons possession. The deliberations commenced on Thursday.

Judge Charles Hamlyn stated, “You gentlemen are free to leave.”

These three men were the final defendants among a group of 14 facing charges either at the state or federal level. Nine had been convicted, and now five have been exonerated. The allegations against the Null brothers and Molitor involved their alleged involvement in military-style training and traveling to the vicinity of Whitmer’s vacation residence in northern Michigan, described by prosecutors as a domestic terrorism plot. Key figures Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. were previously found guilty of conspiracy to kidnap in the previous year.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel expressed disappointment, stating that the “verdicts are not what we hoped for.”

A juror approached Molitor outside the courthouse, expressing apologies for the ordeal he had endured, as recounted by defense attorney William Barnett to The Associated Press. Barnett added, “The man shook his hand and gave him a hug.”

Barnett criticized the attorney general’s office, stating, “They went after three peoples’ lives and destroyed them for three years. I’m just lost for words. This is an emotional moment.” Authorities revealed that the plot against Whitmer had developed in 2020 and was exacerbated by government restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the foiled plot, Whitmer attributed blame to then-President Donald Trump, asserting that he had provided “comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division.” Trump dismissed the kidnapping plan as a “fake deal” in August 2022.