 [Federalist] A recent thwarted plan to take Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer hostage could have been an FBI entrapment, a defense attorney suggested Tuesday for one of six men charged with conspiracy to kidnap.
| If so, given the immediate FBI claim that this was the work of rightwing, white supremacist militia, this was an attempt to create and strengthen prejudice against Republicans and influence the presidential election. And if so, all those at the FBI involved in it should be examined to see if they need to be fired or jailed for it. |
Scott Graham, who is representing 26-year-old Kaleb Franks, argued in court there was no real plan to capture Whitmer. Instead, he said the accused were merely acting as "militia wannabees" who engaged in "big talk between crackpots," according to the Detroit Free Press. In other words, Graham said, those charged in a plot to kidnap Whitmer were "people who talk a lot ... but are never going to do anything."
"Have you ever dealt with big talkers?" Graham asked an FBI Special Agent Richard Trask during cross examination. "There’s kind of a military-wanna-be theme that runs between militias."
Graham specifically asked Trask about his testimony that 13 militia members were planning to steal Whitmer from her vacation home and leave her in the middle of Lake Michigan or try the governor for treason in a nearby state. Trask, the paper reported, said he couldn’t offer a specific answer but that there were audio recordings of the members discussing their plans.
Graham argued in court that it was the FBI’s own informant involved with this group that was actively encouraging the others to engage in illegal activity. 
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