Last sentencings are on docket in 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
A judge will hand down the final sentences Thursday in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A judge will hand down the final sentences Thursday in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, capping a remarkable investigation that broke into public view on the eve of the 2020 presidential election but produced mixed results in court.
Shawn Fix and Brian Higgins pleaded guilty earlier this year in northern Michigan's Antrim County, the location of Whitmer's second home.
They were not key figures in the investigation. But Higgins, a resident of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, acknowledged he went on a night ride on Whitmer's road with a camera rigged to his pickup truck. He pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support for terrorism.
Fix pleaded guilty to providing material support. The suburban Detroit man admitted he assisted plot leader Adam Fox pinpoint Whitmer's address for an earlier drive. Prosecutors said they also had other evidence against Fix.
Whitmer, a Democrat, was targeted as part of a broad effort by anti-government rebels to trigger a civil war around the time of the 2020 election, investigators said. Her COVID-19 policies, which shut down schools and restricted the economy, were deeply scorned by critics and stoked anger.
A raft of informants and undercover FBI agents, however, was inside the group for months, leading to arrests in October 2020. Whitmer was not physically harmed.
Fourteen people were charged in three different courts in Michigan. Nine people were convicted. But in cases that went to trial, prosecutors lost five and only won five.
Three of those acquittals happened in September in Antrim County among Fix's and Higgins' co-defendants. The pair had agreed to cooperate with prosecutors but were never called as trial witnesses.
After the plot was thwarted, Whitmer blamed then-President Donald Trump, saying he had given “comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division.” Trump, out of office, called the kidnapping plan a “fake deal” in 2022.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.