FINDING OUT: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s would-be kidnapper sentenced
Adam Fox, one of five men convicted on charges stemming from a plot to kidnap the Governor of Michigan, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for his role.
Fox is accused of being one of the ringleaders, who, according to charging documents, conspired with Barry Croft Jr. to “unite others in their cause and take violent action against multiple state governments” due to their belief that these entities were in violation of the U.S. Constitution when they enacted curfews, mask mandates, and other actions intended to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Prosecutors sought a life sentence for Fox, whose group — the “Wolverine Watchmen” — was infiltrated by the FBI and was prevented from actually carrying out the Michigan kidnapping plot.
Their scheming at various times involved a suggestion to “knock on [Whitmer’s] door and when she answers it, just cap her” and planning where to place an explosive charge on a nearby bridge in order to delay or deter aid from reaching the governor.
Fox, meanwhile, claimed through his defense counsel that he was actually not the driving force behind the attack, but led astray in an entrapment plot by the FBI.
Judge Robert Jonker cited not this claim, but the failure of the group to actually carry out their plot for the short sentence.
From The Washington Post:
“In a lengthy preamble, U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker acknowledged the seriousness of Fox’s actions and their disastrous, deadly result had he succeeded, but weighed it against the actual outcome that recognized no one was killed and no property destroyed.”
The press release from the Department of Justice upon the arrest of Fox, Croft, and others, suggests that this outcome could have been severely different without the intervention of law enforcement, but hints that incompetence also played a role:
“On July 11, at the exercise, CROFT and a member of the militia group attempted to construct an improvised explosive device (“IED”), using black powder, balloons, a fuse, and BBs for shrapnel…The construction of the devices was faulty, and they did not detonate as planned.” the DOJ wrote.
Still, the plot was far-reaching, as the militia group discussed engaging realtors, electricians, plumbers, and engineers, among others, to help with reading blueprints, locating Whitmer’s Michigan vacation cabin, gathering information on surrounding properties, and carrying out other recon as well as the attack itself.
As for far-reaching plots, law professor Lawrence Tribe weighed in, suggesting this sentencing could be a hint of what to expect if Donald Trump is eventually convicted for his roles in the January 6th attack and surrounding scheming.
My question: If Adam Fox deserves 16 years in prison for “scheming to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in what federal prosecutors described as a threat to American democracy,” how long should Donald Trump spend in prison for scheming to hijack the presidency?https://t.co/2pGsgGUtpE
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) December 27, 2022
