Rep. Slotkin says suspects in the plot against Gov. Whitmer need to be labeled 'domestic terrorists’

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WILX) - Five of the suspects charged in the alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer will be in front of a federal judge in Grand Rapids Tuesday morning.

Adam Fox, Brandon Caserta, Kaleb Franks, Ty Garbin, and Daniel Harris are all scheduled to appear at 9:30 a.m. on federal charges.

It’s expected that the attorneys for the suspects will likely request that Fox, Caserta, Franks, Garbin, and Harris be allowed to post bail. U.S. Magistrate Judge Sally Berens will oversee the bail and detention proceeding in Grand Rapids.

Barry Croft, also facing federal charges, is awaiting extradition from Delaware to Michigan.

According to a complaint from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, the men were part of a Michigan-based militia group that attempted to recruit members for a plan that included storming the Capitol building in Lansing and taking hostages, including the Governor.

Meanwhile, Michigan Congresswoman Rep. Elissa Slotkin thinks the men should be labeled ‘domestic terrorists.'

Our law enforcement and intelligence agencies have been warning us about the growing threat of domestic violent extremism.

If there's one thing these arrests have shown us, it's that we need to take those threats seriously. pic.twitter.com/Xubzb8GIpQ
— Rep. Elissa Slotkin (@RepSlotkin) October 12, 2020

Slotkin, appearing on CNN, said that the plot against Gov. Whitmer is a “classic case of radicalization.” Prior to her position in Congress, Slotkin worked as a CIA analyst and Department of Defense official.

“I worked as a CIA officer focused on foreign terrorist groups my entire life, basically since 9/11. The patterns are very similar," Slotkin said. “That’s why I’ve been very clear that this is domestic terrorism.”

Gov. Whitmer has also stated that the people who allegedly targeted her were domestic terrorists.

Seven other suspects are also charged in the plot. They are facing state charges.

“We shouldn’t be surprised when a small number of the folks that are involved decide to take it up the next rung of the ladder,” Slotkin said. “They start to organize, they start to train, they start to plot. It’s the same pattern we see with terrorist organizations around the world. So, we need to call it what it is.”

News 10 is inside the Grand Rapids courtroom and will continue to update the story as more details become available.

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