Jury selection starts in last trial over foiled plot to kidnap Michigan governor

Jury selection is beginning in the trial of the last defendants accused of being involved in the foiled scheme to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer nearly three years ago.

Opening arguments in the trial of Eric Molitor and brothers William Null and Michael Null are scheduled in rural Antrim County for Wednesday after jury selection began Monday, The Associated Press reported.

Molitor, 39, and the Null brothers, both 41, have pleaded not guilty to charges of providing material support for terrorist acts.

Prosecutors said that the three men, all from Michigan, were part of a group of 14 men who were charged in the plot weeks before the 2024 election. 

The defendants were described by prosecutors as anti-government extremists who were upset by Whitmer's COVID-19 policies, which included closing schools and restricting businesses, according to court filings.

The Nulls and Molitor are accused of surveilling Whitmer's vacation home in Elk Rapids as part of the plot.

So far between state and federal courts, nine men have been convicted in the plot, including four who pleaded guilty. Two other men were acquitted during their trials. The case posed some challenges as two of the defendants -- Barry Croft Jr. and Adam Fox -- were subjected to a retrial after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. 

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