Man charged with aiding Whitmer kidnap plot testifies in own defense

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 government-imposed restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic were excessive. Molitor and two other men are charged with providing material support for terrorist acts and gun crimes. They’re accused of aiding the leaders of a 2020 scheme to kidnap Whitmer at her vacation home in Antrim County. Social media posts and text messages show the group was outraged over COVID-19 restrictions. But evidence has also revealed strident anti-government views and calls for a civil war. Nine men have been convicted in state or federal court.