There’s a new report out today about the FBI’s hand in the Whitmer kidnapping, with the defense attorney offering evidence that the FBI instructed his client, one of the plotters, to cover up their involvement, which he claimed was ‘unlawful’:
DC EXAMINER – The attorney for a man accused of being involved in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer alleged that an FBI agent instructed an informant to lie and delete text messages that would reveal the agency was unlawfully furthering the conspiracy.
Attorney Michael Hills, who represents defendant Brandon Caserta, made the accusations Friday in a court filing, asking Judge Robert Jonker of the Western District of Michigan to order the government to produce all communications between Special Agents Impola Henrik and Jayson Chambers and the informant of the Wolverine Watchmen militia group, known as “Dan.”
Hills provided images purporting to show Impola telling Dan to “be sure to delete these,” apparently referring to messages discussing the plot.
Henrik also instructed Dan to accuse another person associated with the group, who was not ultimately among the six indicted by the Justice Department in connection to the plot, of being a federal agent, according to Hills.
“Copy. Best thing to do is deny and accuse somebody else like Trent,” the message allegedly said.
“These text messages indicate the F.B.I. was pushing their paid agent to actively recruit people into an overt act in furtherance of a conspiracy,” Hills wrote in the filing.
Hills said he suspected the communications reveal the FBI’s informant was the “person at the center of all activity” and that the agents pushed him “to actively recruit and entice people to either enter a conspiratorial agreement or an overt act in support of an agreement.”
He also said the defense team’s need for further materials is “self-evident,” indicating they would be employed for an entrapment defense and used to address the government witnesses and its methods during trial.
This seems to jive with what Buzzfeed reported almost a month ago, that the FBI was far too involved in recruiting people for this plot to kidnap Whitmer. And if that turns out to be the case, it will surprise none of us.
We’ll keep an eye on the developments in this case…