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- The conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was full with FBI informants, BuzzFeed News reported.
- At least 12 confidential FBI informants reportedly assisted the investigation into the extremist group.
- Some of the informants, including an Iraq war veteran, reportedly took leading roles in the scheme.
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The anti-government extremist group accused of conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had been infiltrated by at least a dozen FBI informants – some of whom took leading roles in the scheme, BuzzFeed News reported.
At least 12 confidential FBI informants assisted the investigation into the extremist group accused of conspiring to kidnap the Democratic governor, according to the news outlet's report.
An examination of the case by BuzzFeed revealed that "some of those informants, acting under the direction of the FBI, played a far larger role than has previously been reported."
For example, an Iraq war veteran informant "became so deeply enmeshed in a Michigan militant group" that he rose to second-in-command of the group, BuzzFeed reported.
The war vet told members of the group to convene with other potential suspects and even paid for members' transportation to meetings, according to the news outlet.
Another man who advised the militia group on where to place explosives and offered to get as many as needed was also an informant, BuzzFeed reported.
In total, 14 men were charged last year in the alleged domestic terrorism plot to kidnap Whitmer. The defendants have all pleaded not guilty to the charges.