Two men convicted over plot to kidnap Michigan governor

Two men have been found guilty on conspiracy charges over a plan to kidnap Michigan's governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Prosecutors say Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr had hoped to start a "revolution" by kidnapping the democratic government in a 2020 plot.

According to prosecutors, Ms Whitmer was targeted because of the Covid restrictions she imposed.

The jury found that the two were guilty of conspiring to obtain weapons of mass destruction to blow up a bridge in order to thwart the police response to the kidnapping.

Croft was also convicted of a separate explosives charge.

Both now face the possibility of life in prison, though their attorneys have vowed to appeal.

This was a retrial after a mistrial in the spring in which the jury failed to reach a verdict against Croft and Fox, and acquitted two others. Two others pleaded guilty and testified for prosecutors.

Two two had been under surveillance by federal authorities for weeks, when they discussed the plot. The court heard that they planned to start a second civil war and to put Ms Whitmer on trial before executing her. However the defence argued that the two were incapable of carrying out the plan and that the men had been entrapped by an undercover FBI operation.

Ms Whitmer said in a statement that the verdicts show that "violence and threats have no place" in US politics and that those who call for violence will be held accountable.

She said: "But we must also take a hard look at the status of our politics.

"Plots against public officials and threats to the FBI are a disturbing extension of radicalised domestic terrorism that festers in our nation."

13 people were arrested in connection with the plot - seven are facing charges.

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