2 Marine veterans among those charged in alleged plot to kidnap Michigan governor
Two Marine Corps veterans were among the men charged this week in connection with the alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Daniel Harris, a rifleman who served in the Marines from 2015 to 2019, was one of six men who were federally charged in the headline-grabbing case. Harris, 23, and five other men were accused of hatching a plot to abduct the Democratic governor.
Seven other men were separately charged by the Michigan attorney general, including Joseph Morrison, a Marine from 2015 to 2020. Morrison, 26, faces state charges including providing material support for terrorist acts.
“The serious allegations are not a reflection of the Marine Corps, do not reflect the oath every Marine takes to support and defend the Constitution, and do not align with our core values,†Capt. Joseph Butterfield, a spokesperson for the Marines, said in a statement to the New York Daily News on Saturday.
Officials said conspirators surveilled Whitmer’s home and discussed blowing up explosives to distract police.
Armed right-wing groups are registering as poll watchers and planning to monitor voting places during the presidential election.
After authorities said they foiled the plot, the 49-year-old governor penned a Washington Post opinion piece criticizing President Trump for dividing the country.
“When our leaders encourage domestic terrorists, they legitimize their actions,†Whitmer wrote. “When they stoke and contribute to hate speech, they are complicit.â€
Trump faced a storm of criticism after he refused to denounce white supremacists and told the Proud Boys, a far-right group linked to violence, to “stand back and stand by†during the presidential debate on Sept. 29.
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