By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


8th District Democrat Elissa Slotkin is not mincing words after the announcement that charges have been filed against more than a dozen individuals involved in a plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer and potentially kill her.

Slotkin, who sits on the House Homeland Security Committee, released a statement calling the effort “terrorism” saying she was, “deeply disturbed to hear of the plot, conducted in part in my own district, to kidnap our Governor and commit violence against law enforcement.”

One of the numerous raids that was carried out by authorities across the state was in Hartland Township where 24-year-old Ty Garbin lives. FBI agents raided his residence in the Hartland Meadows manufactured housing community Wednesday evening. A federal indictment says Garbin was one of six men who actively plotted to kidnap the governor from her vacation home and place her on trial for treason. At one point, the indictment says said several members talked about murdering “tyrants” or “taking” a sitting governor.

Slotkin said she was thankful to federal, state and local law enforcement for taking the threat seriously and getting to the perpetrators before they could act. “If true, they are cowards and criminals and should be treated accordingly. Make no mistake: This is about as far from their proclaimed patriotism as one can get. This is terrorism.” She went on to say that the arrests confirm that law enforcement and intelligence agencies which have been warning “with increasing urgency about the threat of violent domestic extremism” were right and this should serve as a “wake-up call to anyone who uses the same violent incitement as the accused, or refuses to speak out against it.”

She added that, “Elected leaders in Michigan and Washington alike have encouraged and tolerated threats of violence and hate against those with whom they disagree” saying they have “purposely stoked it in a misguided attempt to appease their alleged base” and that those same leaders “should not now feign surprise that some extremists have turned such rhetoric into action.”

Meanwhile, her opponent in the November 3rd election, Republican Paul Junge made a short Facebook post also condemning the plot. Junge, who lives in Brighton, thanked “the hard work of our law enforcement, a plot to kidnap or harm Governor Whitmer was disrupted. Violence is wrong and those involved in this plot do a disservice to the American people.”