The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Wednesday, October 14, 2020 — 5
Seven men charged under state terrorism law plot
Michigan Attorney General
Dana Nessel charged seven
men under the state’s anti-
terrorism
law
for
their
involvement in a plot to kidnap
Michigan
Gov.
Gretchen
Whitmer
and
violently
overthrow the government.
The charges, which Nessel
announced
Thursday,
come
after months of high-profile
disputes over the governor’s
use of executive power to fight
the
coronavirus
pandemic
and a series of protests in
opposition
to
her
orders,
some of which brought armed
demonstrators to the Michigan
State Capitol.
Six
additional
men
also
face federal charges, which
were unsealed Thursday. The
suspects have been taken into
custody and the investigation
is ongoing.
The
group
planned
to
kidnap Whitmer and move
her to a “secure location” in
Wisconsin to face “trial.” They
also wanted more than 200
men to storm the Michigan
Capitol and made threats to
instigate a civil war. They
planned on creating a “self-
sufficient” society.
The state charges included
felony counts of threat of
terrorism, gang membership,
providing material support for
terrorist acts and carrying or
possessing a firearm during a
felony. At a press conference,
Nessel said there has been an
increase in anti-government
rhetoric and groups embracing
extremist ideologies.
“Our
efforts
uncovered
elaborate plans to endanger
the lives of law enforcement
officers, government officials
and
the
broader
public,”
Nessel said. “The multi-front
operation to apprehend the
suspects
in
question
was
carefully
coordinated
and
skillfully executed.”
According
to
the
FBI’s
criminal complaint, the men
had been plotting with a
Michigan
militia
group
at
least since July to kidnap
the
Democratic
governor,
and had performed combat
drills, obtained firearms and
attempted to make explosives.
The group had also attempted
to obtain addresses of law
enforcement officers to target
them.
The
FBI
intercepted
encrypted
messages
earlier
this
year
and
relied
on
undercover
agents
and
informants
working
within
the group.
According to the federal
complaint, Michigan residents
Adam Fox, Ty Garbin, Kaleb
Franks, Daniel Harris and
Brandon Caserta along with
Delaware
resident
Barry
Croft
have
been
charged
with conspiring to kidnap the
governor.
Nessel
charged
seven
additional men, all of whom
are residents of Michigan. Paul
Bellar, age 21 of Milford, faces
three felony counts: providing
material support for terrorist
acts,
gang
membership,
carrying
or
possessing
a
firearm during the commission
of a felony.
Shaun
Fix,
age
38
of
Belleville; Eric Molitor, age 36
of Cadillac; Michael Null, age
36 of Plainwell; and William
Null, age 38 of Shelbyville, face
two felony counts: providing
material support for terrorist
acts, carrying or possessing a
firearm during the commission
of a felony.
Pete Musico and Joseph
Morrison, both age 42 and who
live together in Munith, face
four felony counts: one count
each of threat of terrorism,
one
count
each
of
gang
membership, one count each of
providing support of terrorist
acts and one count each of
possessing a firearm during
the commission of a felony.
Whitmer
faced
criticism
from conservative lawmakers
and right-wing groups after
enacting emergency executive
orders
related
to
COVID-
19. In April, hundreds of
demonstrators
gathered
in
Lansing,
Mich.
to
protest
the
governor’s
stay-at-
home orders. Many of these
protesters
were
openly
carrying firearms, which is
legal in the Michigan Capitol.
The
Michigan
Supreme
Court
recently
ruled
that
Whitmer
overstepped
her
authority in issuing executive
orders
related
to
COVID-
19 precautions beyond April
30, saying the law she used
to justify her actions was
unconstitutional. The status
of state regulations remains
in limbo, with some local
governments working to fill in
the gaps.
Whitmer
maintains
her executive orders were
justified, as they aimed to save
lives and protect people from
the
coronavirus
pandemic.
One study found that the
governor’s
stay-at-home
orders may have saved tens of
thousands of lives in the state.
At
a
press
conference
Thursday,
Whitmer
said
she had anticipated facing
challenges
as
governor
of
Michigan, but said she “never
could have imagined anything
like this.” She thanked federal
and state law enforcement for
their work, adding that she
hoped the charges will lead to
convictions that bring “these
sick and depraved men to
justice.”
Whitmer also condemned
President
Donald
Trump
for failing to rebuke white
supremacists
and
said
Trump’s inability to address
the
pandemic
was
the
result
of
ignoring
public
health guidance. In April,
Trump tweeted “LIBERATE
MICHIGAN!” in response to
Whitmer’s efforts to limit the
spread of COVID-19.
“Our head of state has
spent the last seven months
denying science, ignoring his
own health experts, stoking
distrust,
fomenting
anger
and giving comfort to those
who spread fear and hatred
and division,” Whitmer said.
“Just last week, the president
of the United States stood
before the American people
and refused to condemn white
supremacists and hate groups
like
these
two
Michigan
militia groups.”
At a presidential debate on
Sept. 29, Trump declined to
denounce white supremacists
and
directed
a
far-right
extremist group to “stand back
and stand by.”
“Hate groups heard the
president’s words not as a
rebuke but as a rallying cry, as
a call to action,” Whitmer said.
Andrew Birge, U.S. attorney
for the Western District of
Michigan,
said
the
group
used code words and phrases
to avoid detection by law
enforcement and conducted
surveillance on the governor’s
vacation home. Two of the
men discussed planting and
detonating explosives to deter
law enforcement. He also said
the men could face up to life in
prison if convicted.
Joseph Gasper, colonel of
the Michigan State Police, said
the MSP will take swift action
against anyone planning or
seeking to commit violence in
the state.
“This case is one of the
largest cases in recent history
that
the
MSP
has
been
involved in,” Gasper said. “I
think that the nature of this
case is rather unprecedented,
but it does send a very vivid
reminder that while we may be
in a time period of discourse,
possibly even divisiveness and
fighting across the nation, law
enforcement stands united.”
Whitmer
said
the
restrictions initiated during
the COVID-19 pandemic were
necessary to stop more people
from getting sick. Michigan
has had more than 6,800
deaths from coronavirus since
March.
“As
painful
as
these
losses are, our hard work
and
sacrifices
have
saved
thousands of lives. We have
one of the strongest economic
recoveries
in
the
nation,”
Whitmer
said.
“Make
no
mistake, there will be more
hard days ahead, but I want the
people of Michigan to know
this — as your governor, I will
never stop doing everything in
my power to keep you and your
family safe.”
Carter
Howe
and
Leah
Graham contributed reporting.
Daily News Editor Barbara
Collins
can
be
reached
at
bcolli@umich.edu. Daily Staff
Reporter Emma Ruberg can be
reached at eruberg@umich.edu.
Keith
Soster,
director
of
student
engagement
of
MDining, said he has always
been
a
sustainability
geek.
However, working in this role
heightened
his
interest
in
MDining’s efforts to merge
food and sustainability.
MDining’s
latest
sustainability collaboration is
with Michigan Apple Crunch,
a regional program focused on
promoting the consumption of
the Midwest’s local produce.
The program began about six
years ago.
“It’s an opportunity for us
to celebrate all the different
foods that we can grow in the
Midwest,” Soster said.
Michigan
is
the
second
most crop diverse state in the
country, just behind California.
Soster said students of all
ages can open up their minds to
what is possible as far as local
and seasonal food. He wants
to change people’s tendency
to gravitate toward the “most
perfect apple” when walking
into stores like Kroger.
Soster referenced a student
group blind taste test several
years
ago
where
students
sampled two apples — one from
Kroger, the “perfect” apple, and
the local one with blemishes.
Blindfolded, everybody chose
the local and sustainable apple.
“When we buy local and eat
local and sustainable food, it’s
gonna taste a whole lot better,”
Soster said.
The Michigan Apple Crunch
initiative is just one example
of ways that people can engage
with the local harvest. Getting
students involved with food
sustainability
on
campus
is
really
about
increasing
awareness, Soster said.
“Being able to show in their
dining halls where the food
that is grown at the campus is
utilized in our menu, I think is
important, too,” Soster said.
Public Policy senior Grace
Hermann, who studies food
systems
and
agricultural
policy, said programs like this
could help college students
learn more about sustainable
food practices.
“I grew up in a house where
we ate meat nearly every day and
never really considered what
the implications of that were
until I got to college,” Hermann
said. “I also think that a lot of
students may lack knowledge
surrounding diets that are not
focused around meat, may not
have been exposed to certain
foods or may have just never
considered how their diet and
consumption habits play a role
in environmental issues.”
LSA junior Brian Devorkin
works with Soster to bring
this
knowledge
of
food
sustainability and wellness to
the student body, partnering
with local farmers to build
relationships. He said Soster’s
passion helps fuel students’
interest in sustainability.
“They
build
the
(relationships) because of the
personalities they bring to the
table, and just the connections
and
the
professionalism,”
Devorkin said. “The chefs are
just awesome. He (Soster) has
so many connections and so
many people that would love
to help out, and just love his
mission.”
Though
Michigan
Apple
Crunch
is
MDining’s
latest
project,
the
team’s
sustainability and food security
initiatives have been in motion
for years. Others include the
Campus Farm, founded in 2012,
and Sustainable Mondays.
Hermann
lived
in
East
Quad
Residence
Hall
her first two years at the
University
of
Michigan
and
praised
Sustainable
Mondays for introducing more
environmentally
friendly
options to the dining halls.
“Efforts
like
that
by
MDining
to
decrease
meat
consumption
and
provide
students
with
alternative
options
are
important
as
well,” Hermann said. “Based
on
my
conversations
with
folks from MDining from my
class, I believe they also try
to source from local farmers
when possible, which is good
for our local economy as well.
Though UMich is far from
perfect, all of these efforts do
help the University be a better
community member.”
Another challenge is making
sustainable food options more
widely available for students
regardless
of
socioeconomic
background.
This
included
adding
paid
positions
to
Campus
Farm,
therefore
allowing low-income students
to become involved in campus
food sustainability.
In the past year, Soster helped
spearhead the North Campus
Food Distribution program, an
effort to make food access more
equitable across the University
and decrease food insecurity.
Another initiative is the Food
Recovery Network, a nonprofit
dedicated
to
recovering
leftover food from university
dining halls and donating it to
local food banks.
“Any leftover food is basically
used,” Devorkin said. “It’s not
thrown away. They kind of
limit that waste.”
One
of
MDining’s
latest
iniiatives is carbon tracking and
identifying the carbon value of
MDining’s menu items. In 2019,
Ann Arbor City Council passed
a resolution to reach carbon
neutrality by 2030.
“There’s lots of work to
be done across the campus
community,” Soster said. “But
I think dining can lead the way
and model the behavior that we
hope others will jump on to.”
Hermann
worries
about
how sustainable food practices
are often overlooked in favor
of mass production, echoing
Soster’s hope for a shift towards
seasonal and local produce.
“I think it is really important
that when we talk about food
sustainability we approach it
not just from an environmental
standpoint,
but
also
from
an
economic
and
social
standpoint,”
Hermann
said.
“Food that is truly sustainable
should also positively support
our local economies, as well as
the health, safety and economic
well-being
of
workers
and
consumers.”
Soster and Devorkin said
MDining’s efforts to create
more sustainable food practices
are worth the years of slow
progress.
“I
want
to
leave
my
contributions to the world and
my children in a better way
than I found them,” Soster said.
“I know that sounds kind of
corny, but it’s true.”
Contributor Nina Molina can
be reached at nimolina@umich.
edu
MDining partners with Michigan Apple Crunch
Accused men planned to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, six additional men face federal charges
Partnership works to provide sustainable, locally-sourced food options, encourage students to change nutrition habits
NINA MOLINA
For The Daily
BARBARA COLLINS
& EMMA RUBERG
Daily News Editor & Staff Reporter
Board of Commissioners candidates present platforms
Three nominees participate in event hosted by League of Women Voters, discuss plans to address inequality and COVID-19
Candidates
for
the
Washtenaw County Board of
Commissioners detailed their
platforms in videos uploaded
Tuesday.
They
discussed
priorities for the county amid
the COVID-19 pandemic and
pressing issues facing local
governments.
The
University
of
Michigan
Central
Campus
and the surrounding area are
represented by Commissioner
Jason Morgan, D-District 8,
who is running for reelection
and
currently
serves
as
the chair of the Board of
Commissioners.
The videos were posted by the
League of Women Voters of the
Ann Arbor Area, a nonpartisan
organization
aiming
to
increase participation in local
government and educate people
on the democratic process.
Morgan is running against
epublican Joan Knoertzer, who
was invited but did not attend
the
event.
The
candidates
challenging
Commissioner
Katie Scott, D-District 9, who
is up for reelection in District
9,
and
Democrat
Caroline
Sanders, who is running in
District 4, did not attend the
event either. Because Morgan,
Scott and Sanders did not have
opponents present to debate,
they participated together in
one event.
Douglas Allen moderated the
conversation.
“The world has changed a
great deal since most of you
decided to run for office,” Allen
said. “The global pandemic,
ensuing economic collapse and
more recently the Black Lives
Matter Movement have focused
attention on how these matters
highlight the disproportionate
burdens shouldered by the poor,
the elderly and communities of
color. These present challenges
to government at all levels.”
Morgan said the board is
trying to accelerate its work
to address inequality. He said
he has a series of priorities he
hopes to address in the future,
among them addressing climate
change and confronting social
and racial injustice.
“I think the budget is where
we do that work,” Morgan
said. “... It sometimes makes
things
uncomfortable
when
we say we need to really truly
address racial inequity and
reallocate some funds from
some areas of the county, but I
think that’s what we’re talking
about here and how we achieve
real, structural change in our
community going forward.”
Scott, who also represents
parts of Ann Arbor, is the
current
Ways
and
Means
Chair. She said many of the
most pressing issues the board
will face following the COVID-
19 pandemic are related to the
budget. Scott said feedback
from county residents will be
essential in putting the budget
together.
“I’m not the first person
to say this, but I believe the
budget is a moral document
and we will have to be thinking
about what our morals are,
what our priorities are, to do
that budget,” Scott said.
Sanders
said
resource
allocation will be a pivotal
issue.
“We will have to put greater
emphasis on the priority of
putting people first and in
making sure that we not only in
word but in deed prove by our
actions and our allocations that
we are interested in protecting
those
that
are
the
most
vulnerable first and others as
needed,” Sanders said.
Morgan
discussed
Michigan’s ongoing challenges
with clean water, particularly
with
toxic
per-
and
polyfluoroalkyl
substances,
also known as PFAS.
PFAS, which has been found
in
the
Washtenaw
County
water supply, is a group of
manmade
chemicals
used
in
manufacturing.
These
chemicals can cause a variety
of
negative
health
effects,
including cancer and changes
in the immune system.
“I
think
the
protection
of our water is the biggest
environmental
concern
in
our community at this time,”
Morgan said.
The
participants
also
discussed
homelessness
in
Washtenaw County. In March,
when
COVID-19
began
to
spread, the county paid for hotel
rooms for people experiencing
housing
insecurity.
Morgan
said he would work to continue
this support.
“The
biggest
thing
is
ensuring that we have a way
to keep those who are in our
shelters safe and fed … We’re
still working on it but I’ve heard
the message from residents
loud and clear that we need to
keep our homeless community
safe,” Morgan said.
In her closing statement,
Scott said she is passionate
about her work in the county
and advocating for people.
“One of the things this
pandemic has really shown
us is the underpinnings of
inequality in not only our
country, but in our county as
well,” Scott said.
Morgan said his personal
experiences
informed
his
approach to governing.
“The one thing we don’t
really get to do as public
officials as often as you would
think is share who we are as
people,” Morgan said. “... As
a young LGBTQ individual
growing up in this community
… paired with growing up with
a disability has shaped a lot
of my experiences and how I
approach
government.
And
it’s really the reason I am here
doing this job today. I am here
because I care about making
people’s lives better.”
Daily Staff Reporter Emma
Ruberg
can
be
reached
at
eruberg@umich.edu.
EMMA RUBERG
Daily Staff Reporter