A fresh report about the FBI’s role in the Whitmer kidnapping has been released today, with the defense counsel claiming that the FBI ordered his client, one of the plotters, to cover up their involvement, which he claimed was “unlawful”.
DC Examiner reported an FBI agent told an informant to falsify and delete text conversations that would prove the agency was unlawfully promoting the conspiracy, according to the attorney for a man suspected of being involved in a scheme to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
In a court filing on Friday, attorney Michael Hills, who represents defendant Brandon Caserta, made the allegations, asking Judge Robert Jonker of the Western District of Michigan to order the government to produce all communications between Special Agents Impola Henrik and Jayson Chambers and the informant of the Wolverine Watchmen militia group known as “Dan.”
Hills released photos purported to show Impola asking Dan to “be sure to delete these,” presumably referring to plot-related messages.
According to Hills, Henrik allegedly told Dan to accuse another member of the gang of being a federal agent, even though that person was not one of the six indicted by the Justice Department in connection with the scheme.
“Copy. Best thing to do is deny and accuse somebody else like Trent,” the message allegedly said.
“These text messages indicate the F.B.I. was pushing their paid agent to actively recruit people into an overt act in furtherance of a conspiracy,” Hills wrote in the filing.
Hills said he suspected the communications reveal the FBI’s informant was the “person at the center of all activity” and that the agents pushed him “to actively recruit and entice people to either enter a conspiratorial agreement or an overt act in support of an agreement.”
He also said the defense team’s need for further materials is “self-evident,” indicating they would be employed for an entrapment defense and used to address the government witnesses and its methods during trial.
Hills believes the FBI’s informant was the “person at the center of all activity” and that the agents pressured him to “actively recruit and entice people to either enter a conspiratorial agreement or an overt act in support of an agreement,” according to the conversations.
He also stated that the defense team’s need for more materials is “self-evident,” implying that they will be utilized in an entrapment defense and to address government witnesses and procedures during the trial.
This seems to jive with what Buzzfeed reported almost a month ago, that the FBI was far too involved in recruiting people for this plot to kidnap Whitmer. And if that turns out to be the case, it will surprise none of us.
We’ll keep an eye on the developments in this case…
