(Washington) Three far-right activists accused in the United States of having fomented a plot to kidnap the Democratic governor of Michigan were convicted on Wednesday of “domestic terrorism”.
Posted at 2:34 p.m.
Two other far-right activists had already been sentenced two months ago for orchestrating the kidnapping of Governor Gretchen Whitmer, because of the anti-COVID-19 restrictions the elected official had imposed in this northern state. -United.
Joseph Morrison, Paul Bellar and Pete Musico – all Michigan natives and described as members of the far-right Wolverine Watchmen militia – face up to 20 years in prison and a $20,000 fine, Michigan’s attorney general has said. Dana Nessel in a statement. Sentencing is scheduled for December 15, 2022.
“Today three defendants were convicted of material support for terrorism, gang membership and possession of a weapon in the commission of a crime to support a conspiracy to kidnap and kill me,” the Democrat said. Gretchen Whitmer on Twitter right after the Attorney General’s court ruling.
PHOTO JIM WATSON, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVES
Democrat Gretchen Whitmer
The plot to kidnap the governor – which Dana Nessel’s office says included inciting a civil war in the United States – caused a national outcry when it was revealed just weeks before the 2020 presidential election.
“Terrorist attacks and shootings are not spontaneous acts, they are the result of planning, conspiracy and the accumulation of resources for violent acts,” commented Dana Nessel.
In 2020, the arrest of these activists illustrated the growing threat posed by radical right-wing militias, which was then confirmed during the assault on the Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021, in which members of groups participated. such as the Oath Keepers or the Proud Boys.