Militiaman Says He Was ‘On a Mission From God’ to Kidnap Whitmer [VIDEO]
One of the men who allegedly tried to hatch a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer says he was "on a mission from God."
On a newly obtained recording of Barry Croft Jr., the militiaman is said to be heard saying that "God has granted him permission to violate His commandments."
According to Chicago TV station WLS, federal authorities have collected approximately 100,000 pages of documentation and 1,000 hours of recordings that detail the October 2020 plan to capture and possibly kill the governor. Croft, one of more than a dozen men connected to the plot, is said to speak in an 'excited tone' about his part in the plan.
Recordings and photographs of the men gathering in Ohio and Wisconsin during the planning phase of the plot are among the items that may soon be released to the public. Also included is a picture of Croft with a "boogaloo" flag, representing a radical and violent ultra-right organization bent on racial upheaval and government chaos.
Prosecutors say they have no issue with the public release of the materials but Croft's lawyer, Joshua A. Blanchard, objects.
"Because of the high-profile nature of the proceeding and significant media attention it has received, releasing the exhibits before their admission at trial poses a risk of tainting the jury pool. Accordingly, the Court should exercise its supervisory authority to delay access to the records," Blanchard stated in a court filing.
Croft's case is expected to go to trial in October of this year.