A jury acquitted three men on Friday in the final trial linked to a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. This scheme, which took place on the eve of the 2020 presidential election, was portrayed as an example of domestic terrorism.
William Null, his twin brother Michael Null, and Eric Molitor were found not guilty of providing support for a terrorist act and a weapon charge. They were the last of 14 men to face charges in either state or federal court, with nine others already convicted.
The Nulls and Molitor were accused of supporting the plan’s leaders by participating in military-style drills and visiting Whitmer’s vacation home in northern Michigan. The key players, Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr., were convicted of a kidnapping conspiracy last year in a separate trial.
In the most recent trial, the jury heard 14 days of testimony in Antrim County, where Whitmer’s lakeside property is located, approximately 185 miles (297 kilometers) north of the state Capitol.
Authorities stated that the attack on Whitmer began to take shape at a gathering of anti-government extremists in Dublin, Ohio, during the summer of 2020. Fox, Croft, and William Null attended the event, and an FBI informant secretly recorded their violent threats against public officials.
The recordings, text messages, and social media posts introduced as evidence at the trial revealed that the anger was fueled by government-imposed COVID-19 restrictions.
Molitor, 39, and William Null, 41, testified in their own defense, admitting to participating in gun drills and surveilling Whitmer’s property. However, William Null stated that he and his brother distanced themselves when discussions turned to obtaining explosives. Molitor described Fox as “incredibly dumb” and incapable of carrying out a kidnapping.
During his closing argument, Assistant Attorney General William Rollstin urged the jurors not to be swayed, emphasizing that any form of assistance would satisfy the element of the crime. He stated, “Was he helping him to plan? Was he helping him prepare? The answer is absolutely.”
Michael Null, 41, did not testify, and his lawyer chose not to question any witnesses during the trial. Tom Siver, his defense attorney, asserted that Michael Null had done nothing wrong.
Informants and undercover FBI agents infiltrated the group for months before the arrests were made in October 2020. Whitmer was unharmed.
In addition to the nine men previously convicted, two others were acquitted in separate trials, bringing the total number of individuals involved in the plot to 14.
Following the foiled plot, Whitmer blamed then-President Donald Trump, accusing him of providing comfort to those who spread fear, hatred, and division. Trump dismissed the kidnapping plot as a “fake deal” in 2022, after leaving office.
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