by Brayden Yee
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was the target of an attempted kidnapping in October 2020, which spanned over multiple states, contained encrypted chats, and involved explosives. Law enforcement had proudly proclaimed that the plan was foiled, leading many to believe that the case was over. However, new details have come out around the FBI’s involvement with the plot, and that may not be the case.
The arrest of an FBI agent and confidential informants has left some questions regarding the kidnapping. Along with that, three witnesses accused of crimes will now not testify on the March 8th trial to defend the FBI’s credibility.
Richard Trask, the former FBI agent credited with foiling the plan, was arrested for domestic abuse after he allegedly smashed his wife’s head into a desk, and will not be testifying. Henrik Impola, a second agent, was accused of perjury in a separate case, and will also not be testifying. Another agent, Jayson Chambers, used the plot to promote his side security consulting business called Exeintel.
At least 12 FBI informants were involved in the plot, which led to the arrest of six men who are scheduled to go on trial on March 8th, with Ty Garbin already pleading guilty and sentenced to six years and three months in prison.
The main question of the case is whether the six men or the FBI plotted the kidnapping. The defense reported that the FBI recruited members, helped organize meetings, paid for hotel rooms, and led military training, among other things. The defense argues that the plot would not have existed without the FBI’s support and money, stating that 258 out-of-court statements show hesitation among the men and that the FBI directed the mission.
Since then, the government has dropped one of their lead informants from the case, informant Stephen Robeson, who they claim is a double agent. The government stated that he tried to prevent arrests, destroy evidence, and was even willing to carry out a drone strike to aid the plot.
The defense is using this as evidence, stating that informants like Robeson were the characters of the kidnapping plot. The government has responded by dropping him from the case entirely and stated that his statements could not be used as evidence due to him being a liar. The defense has since been trying to introduce communications between FBI agents and their informants to prove that the government was responsible for the plot.
What once seemed to be a walk-in-the-park case for the government has since muddied up significantly. With many controversies regarding the potential witnesses of the government, the momentum looks like it's shifting to the side of the defense. While the outcome is still unknown, it may come down to the communications between FBI agents and defense informants to finally settle the case.
edited by William Cao and Vishal Krishnaiah