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In trying to salvage itshistoric domestic terrorism case, the prosecution left jurors with one final image Monday to remember as they deliberatethe Gov. Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping case: a group of men casing the governor's house in the middle of the night.

"Dont forget the most important thing these defendants were outside a woman's house in the middle of the night with night vision goggles, and guns, and a plan to kidnap her. And they made a bomb. Thats real enough, isn't it," Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler said in his closing arguments, which focused heavily on attacking defense claims that this was just make-believe, and entrapment.

"Look at how close they got, yards away from her house where she stayed with her family casing her house," Kessler said.

Kesslerargued repeatedly in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids that Adam Fox andBarry Croft Jr.were willing participants in the kidnapping scheme and portrayed them as angry militiamen who wanted to set off a second civil war.

"And they wanted to do it long before they set sights on Whitmer," said Kessler."They didnt want to just kidnap her. … They wanted to execute her.

Fox and Croft are being retried on charges they plotted to kidnap the governor out of anger over her handling of the pandemic.Later Monday the defense made itsclosing arguments, which you can read here. The jury then began deliberations.

The first trial in April ended in no convictions. Two men were acquitted and the jury deadlocked on charges against Fox and Croft, whose lawyers have long maintained their clients were set up by rogue FBI agents who enticed them into saying and doing things they wouldn'thave otherwise.

More: Defense urges Whitmer kidnap jury to acquit: 'Send this show packing ... this isn't Russia'

Not quite, countered the prosecution, which urged the jury to remember comments that Fox and Croft made in the spring of 2020,before the FBI infiltrated their group.

"Remember what they said ... 'Which governor is going to be dragged off and hung first.... God knows the governor needs hung. .... Take the governor, we have to do something bold for once in our lives. ... If we can get to her, we can get to you.' "

They were talking aboutWhitmer, Kessler said, telling jurors that Croft recruited Fox to be part of a national militia movement that involved targeting governors and law enforcement with the hopes of sparking a second civil war.

"Adam Fox is totally on board," Kessler said. "He wants you to believe hes just some poor sap who got suckered into this."

But he wasn't, Kessler said, arguing that Fox was a willing participant who in the summer of 2020 told an undercover FBI informant the following:

"'Were gonna kidnap the bitch. We need a seven- to eight-memberteam.Were gonna go up to her house and take a look at it ... and were going as low-profile tourists, pure Michigan bro.'"

Kessler later added: "The recordings are the strongest witnesses ...you heard them saying in their own voices over and over again, saying they were going to do it."

But they didn't just talk about it, Kessler said, stressing that Fox and Croft also made several overt acts took action to carry out the kidnapping plan, including:

Even if kidnapping Whitmer wasn't a realistic possibility, Kessler said, the threat was still present.

"They would've killed somebody," he said. "How far do you let something like this go?"

In closing, the prosecutor laid out a timeline for the jury as it moves into the deliberation room. Here is how the prosecution laid out its case, one last time, for the jury:

In 2017, Croft, a trucker from Delaware, fell on the government's radar when he started talking about starting a revolution. By 2020, Croft launched a call to action: He wanted to kick off his revolution by hanging a governor.

Croft would eventually meet Fox on social media and tell him about his plan.The two set their sights on Whitmer and hatched a plan to kidnap her, with Fox agreeing to recruit members.

"Im on board man. Im going to actively begin recruiting, I cant wait. … were going to put together a group to go snatch a motherf-----," Fox tells Croft in an audio message that was played for the jury.

This was before the FBI infiltrated their group.

In April of 2020, akey government informant known as Big Dan went undercover for the FBI. The former army veteran did this after joining the Wolverine Watchmen and hearing members talk about killing cops. He reported this to a police-officer friend, who contacted the FBI, with Big Dan agreeing to go undercover,fearing police were being targeted.

The defense claims Big Dan manipulated Fox. But the prosecution says Fox was willing and eager to kidnap the governor, and that two weeks before Fox even met Big Dan, hehe had talked about a plan to take the governor … we have to do something bold for once in our lives

On June 18, 2020, came a Second Amendment rally at the state Capitol, as public outrage over lockdowns and masks built. Fox met members of the Wolverine Watchmen militia at the rally, and invited them back to his place for a meeting to discuss plans to kidnap Whitmer.

It was held in the basement of a vacuum shop in the Grand Rapids area, where Fox lived, and Fox made all the invitees leave their cellphones upstairs, concerned one might be a spy and he didnt want the session recorded.

Unbeknownst to Fox, Big Dan was wired, and recording the whole thing.

After the vacuum shop meeting, Fox reported back to Croft, told him he had rounded up militia members, and that he would bring them to a meeting in Cambria, Wisconsin, whereCroft made the following comments:Governors are destroying the nation … we need to clean out the rubbish … if we get her in custody, treason is a hanging offense.

He wasreferring to Whitmer, and called for a quick precise grab on that f------ governor. Whitmer. Whitmer.

Two weeks after the Wisconsin meeting, Fox told Big Dan the group would kidnap Whitmer.

On Aug. 29, Fox and Big Dan headed up to Eagle Rapids to find Whitmers lakefront cottage.

Thats it, dude. Thats it. Lets turn around and see it again, Fox is heard saying.

During that trip, Fox also discovered a boat launch, drove by the police station to see how far it was, then drew a map of the area marked with Elk Rapids Police Department, 3 miles.

In September, the group started ramping up for another training exercise, with Fox saying: We need a hood for our asset. I have flex cuffs.

On Sept. 12, 2020, came the nighttime surveillance. Three cars set out and Fox says: We already put eyes on our f------ cottage up there. Were going to take a look tonight. Its perfect. Theres a boat launch concealed by trees.

Croft was in the same car as Fox that night. His lawyer argued during trial that Croft didnt know where he was going.

Do you think its a coincidence that Mr. Lets-hang-a-governor ends up yards away from Gov. Whitmers house in the middle of the night? Do you really think he didnt know where they were going? Kessler askedthe jury.

But Croft did know where he was going, Kessler argued.

"If he didnt know what they were doing, he may have stayed silent, or said, What are we doing here?'"Kessler said, adding that Croft instead was looking for his accomplices on the other side of a lake as they drove past Whitmers house.

"He says, She should be right around where those three lights are,'"Kessler said, referring to Crofts comments that night. "The defense suggests he might be doing land navigation. But he says 'she.' Thats Governor Whitmer who hes talking about right there.

Kessler then asked the jury to consider what Croft said after the nighttime surveillance: "Taking her out by the big lake is the best option."

Kessler also told the jury to remember Croft talking about Joe Biden winning the election and giving Whitmer extra security, telling his cohorts they would need a rocket launcher to fight the security detail during the kidnapping.

"In an operation of this magnitude, you are going to have to walk away from your life," Croft is heard telling his accomplices.

Kessler also told the jury to recall Fox saying: We need to practice. Get her in her sleep. Ill get some regular f------ handcuffs sowe can practice.

The group also talked about needing body armor and silencers for the operation.

Ask yourself, who needs a silencer? Kessler said. These guys did. And you know what for."

After Foxs arrest, the FBI searched his home and found a so-called go bag, filled with the following: duct tape. Rope. Flex cuffs. A knife and a gas mask.

The defense suggested this was camping gear. The prosecutor disagreed.

When you go camping, you dont need a gas mask. You dont need flex cuffs. Thats part of the kidnapping kit, Kessler said.

Fox and Croft are also charged with conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction to blow up a bridge.

The defense has denied the claim, maintaining the men experimented with benign fireworks in the woodsand hadno plan to blow anything up.

But the prosecution cited some of Crofts comments like, Im going to blow shit up. Im going to terrorize people." Prosecutors told jurors that he built explosive devices out of fireworks, pennies and BBs that he said would go right through your skin. It also showed jurors videos of Croft trying to detonate his homemade bombs, but they didnt work.

Thats when Fox told his cohorts, "I have a baker Up North."

"Baker" is code for bomb builder. In this case, the baker was a man named Matt Keepers, who testified at trial that Fox reached out to him and asked him to join his militia and build a bomb. But the man told the jury he wanted no part in it.

According to the prosecution, the FBI was fearful that the group would obtain explosives on their own, so they placed an undercover agent in the group who pretended to be a bomb builder.

His cover name was Red. He gave the group a menu of explosives and said, This is what I can build for you.

What kind of price tag are we looking at? Fox allegedly asks.

"Its not, 'Woah, I dont want to do that, the prosecutor told the jury. "Its, 'How much is it going to cost?'"

According to the prosecution, Red said the bomb would cost $4,000. Fox gathered the group on Sept. 13, 2020, and told them they needed to raise $4,000, and another $600 for flash-bangs.

On Oct. 7, Fox and four cohorts traveled to Ypsilanti to make a down payment on the explosives and pick up free military gear that Red promised.

Butwhen they got there, the FBI was waiting with handcuffs and arrested the men. Croft was arrested at a gas station in New Jersey.

Fox had $360 on him when he was arrested. After the sting,Fox shared a jail cell with one of his co-defendants, who said Fox told him: "'Ive got another 600 toward the bomb back at the vac shack."

The FBI searched the vacuum shop, Kessler told the jury, "and thats exactly what they found" $600 in cash.

Kessler also urged the jury to consider the testimony of Kaleb Franks and Ty Garbin the two co-defendants who pleaded guilty early on and agreed to testify against the others at trial in exchange for leniency.

They pled guilty. They knew it was real. It wasnt costume play, Kessler said before asking the jury to consider Garbin and Franks' outfits on the stand. And those orangejumpsuits arent costume either. They went to prison.

Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com.

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Feds try to salvage Whitmer kidnap case in closing arguments: 'They wanted to execute her' - Detroit Free Press

Will Silver was blocked by the New York State Senate on Twitter after criticizing new gun control legislation.

by FIRE

ALBANY, N.Y., Aug. 18, 2022 The New York State Senate wants to hear from each and every citizen as it considers hundreds of bills each year. But if youre a New Yorker who criticizes the Senate on Twitter, you may find your account blocked and your tweet hidden.

Today, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression called on the New York State Senate to stop blocking Twitter critics and hiding their tweets. FIRE defends the speech rights of all Americans and, here, represents William Silver, who was among many blocked after criticizing new gun control legislation.

The First Amendment protects the pen, the press, and the pixel, said FIRE attorney Adam Steinbaugh. When state actors go online, the First Amendment follows.

Twitter users including the staff operating the New York State Senate account can hide replies to their threads and block people who replied, preventing them from seeing the accounts future tweets or interacting further. The New York State Senates official Twitter account frequently takes advantage of this feature, blocking or hiding criticism of legislation and legislators.

The Senates actions are unconstitutional. Courts across the country have recognized that when a government actor invites public comments on social media, the government actors regulation of that online speech is restrained by the First Amendment. In one notable case, a court found then-President Donald Trumps practice of blocking critics on Twitter violated the First Amendment.

The New York State Senate cannot hide tweets or block users based on their viewpoints, said Steinbaugh. In culling tweets and blocking users based on viewpoint, the New York State Senate undermines its own role in facilitating the democratic process and violates the Constitution.

In June, the United States Supreme Court struck down a New York statute requiring a license to carry a firearm outside of the home. In response, the state legislature met in an extraordinary session to consider new gun control legislation which it ultimately adopted.

Upset New Yorkers took to Twitter to express their frustration with the legislation, and the New York State Senate hid almost 90 tweets on the subject and blocked a multitude of users.

Today, FIRE sent a letter to the New York State Senate on behalf of Silver, who responded to a Senate tweet about the extraordinary session with a tweet of his own, repeating two words from the Second Amendment: Shall not. His account was then blocked and his tweet hidden.

While the Senate was considering legislation on an expedited basis, I thought it was important to voice my opinion while I had the opportunity, said Silver. Its concerning that the Senate would try to prevent me from doing that. We cant expect politicians to agree with us on every issue, but they also cant subvert the democratic process by hiding constituents publicly voiced concerns.

FIREs letter calls on the New York State Senate to unblock all users, unhide any tweets or Facebook comments, and agree not to block users or hide comments going forward. The letter also includes a public records request for information about who and what the New York State Senate has blocked, hidden, or filtered on its social media sites. (For more on how public institutions use blocking and filtering functions, see FIREs 2020 report.)

Legislatures should seek out the opinions of their constituents, not disappear them, said FIRE attorney Harrison Rosenthal. Our democracy depends on the ability of the public to share their views, but the New York State Senate is suppressing the views they dont like.

FIRE has given the Senate until Sept. 1 to respond to the letter.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought the most essential qualities of liberty. FIRE educates Americans about the importance of these inalienable rights, promotes a culture of respect for these rights, and provides the means to preserve them.

CONTACT:

Katie Kortepeter, Media Relations Manager, FIRE: 215-717-3473; media@thefire.org

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The New York State Senate blocks critics on Twitter. That's unconstitutional and FIRE calls on the Senate to knock it off. - Foundation for...

A few days ago, an 80-year-old store business owner shot a robber who entered his store with a long rifle. The robber looks to be a young man who had maybe three other men with him waiting outside in a getaway car. The 80-year-old store owner shot this punk with a shotgun and the robber ran out of the store crying that his arm was shot off. Well, he was taken to the hospital by the other gang members, and all were arrested after the incident. This 80-year man used his Second Amendment rights to defend his life and his property.

Now, for those who want all guns taken away from law-abiding citizens, is this really the answer? Who knows what this robber would have done he could have just gone in and taken the money or taken the money and killed this man. This man is here today because of what he did and he did the right thing. With the way things are now, a punk gets arrested for whatever and gets out of jail before the ink is dry on the police report! This man did the right thing and is alive today to enjoy another day with his loving family.

Excerpt from:
Second Amendment allows man to see another day - Brunswick News

Muskets were the "assault weapons" of their day and yes, you have the right to own them.

Illinois governor JB Pritzker recently insinuated that the Second Amendment is obsolete because the Founding Fathers owned muskets. This is an insult to the intelligence of every American.

In the 18th century the citizen and the state were equally matched on the battlefield. Both fought with the same weapons. It was just a matter of who had more muskets and soldiers. This makes the musket the "assault weapons" of its day. The Second Amendment was not written to encourage the citizen to go to war with the state. Instead, it is the other way round to prevent the state from waging war on the citizen. Otherwise, the Second Amendment would only have protected those other methods of defense in the late 1700s: sabers, pistols and pitchforks.

The American citizen and U.S. government have not been equally matched with regards to weaponry since at least 1880. Nuclear weapons, submarines, F-22s, Reaper Drones, the state security apparatus and many other things make the modern state almost invincible. This actually presents new challenges to democracy and a clear danger for the citizen in our current era. Despite their reputation semi-automatic AR-15s don't stand a chance against these real weapons of war. But they still provide the material for the intent behind the Second Amendment: a deterrent against the state declaring war on the individual.

That fact should only worry tyrants.

DEAN CANNON

Sandpoint

Original post:
Muskets were 'assault weapons' of their day - Bonner County Daily Bee

SYRACUSE As many Republicans across the country jockey for one man's support, Steve Wells is taking an old-fashioned approach to winning a congressional seat: He is running on the issues that he believes matter to the 22nd Congressional District.

He criticizes President Joe Biden for his handling of the economy and high inflation issues he feels he is equipped to address given his business background. (He is a founding partner of American Food and Vending Corporation, a Syracuse-area company.) As a former prosecutor in Fort Worth, Texas, he says there needs to be action to address crime.

On issues from energy to gun rights, he sounds like the type of candidate Republicans would've had no problem nominating before 2016. He panned the Biden administration's energy policy and the push to quickly shift away from fossil fuels. While he does not oppose what he described as a "low carbon future," he thinks there needs to be a balance with existing energy sources, such as nuclear. On guns, he agrees that there should be efforts to combat gun violence. However, as a longtime licensed gun owner, he supports the Second Amendment.

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But times have changed. Former President Donald Trump is viewed by most within the GOP as the leader of the party. If you aren't for Trump, you are labeled a "RINO" (a Republican in name only) and may encounter an uphill battle to winning the GOP nomination.

Wells is far from an unabashed Trump supporter. He has been asked if he would Trump for president in 2024, but has avoided a direct answer to that question by saying he will support the Republican nominee, whomever it is. The answer is reminiscent of when U.S. Rep. John Katko, whom Wells is seeking to succeed in Congress, said in 2016 that he would support the GOP presidential nominee. After the release of the infamous "Access Hollywood" video, Katko declined to support Trump for president. (He wrote in former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.) Katko endorsed Trump ahead of the 2020 election, but also voted to impeach him after the Jan 6. attack on the Capitol.

For Wells, he is reminded of what his father told him as a child. His father's advice was to "talk about ideas, don't talk about people."

"I've always focused on ideas," Wells said in an interview with The Citizen. "I'm happy to debate ideas. I'm happy to be criticized for ideas. I'm happy to examine ideas. But it's about ideas. At the end of the day, I'm going to talk about ideas, about what's actually happening, but only insofar as it helps us bring out what we need to do to fix them, to move forward."

Wells was a late entrant into the congressional race. After a court-appointed special master redrew New York's congressional district lines in May, the Cazenovia Republican decided to run for the 22nd district seat. The district includes all of Onondaga, Madison and Oneida counties, plus a small portion of Oswego County. Wells quicklysecured the support of the GOP chairs in the new district.

There is one other Republican in the 22nd district race. Brandon Williams, who lives in the Cayuga County town of Sennett, is vying for the nomination. He has billed himself as the conservative candidate in the race he has been endorsed by the state Conservative Party.

Wells has largely avoided any joint appearances with his primary foe a fact Williams has mentioned during the campaign. He declined to participate in any televised debates. He has defended this decision by saying that his late entry into the race means he has to spend his time talking to voters. The primary election is Tuesday, Aug. 23.

He has been attending events throughout the district and released a pair of TV ads highlighting the main issues he wants to talk about, namely crime and inflation. In one ad, he pledges to stand up to Biden.

"People have to feel safe to go shopping, to go to the grocery store. We don't have that environment right now," Wells said. "Why am I the best person? I have a quarter-century of starting and building a business. To handle the economy, I know exactly what needs to be done. Crime... I've seen what works and what doesn't work."

This is not Wells' first campaign for Congress. In 2016, after the late U.S. Rep. Richard Hanna decided to retire and not seek reelection, Wells sought the Republican nomination. He lost in the primary to Claudia Tenney, who is now serving her second nonconsecutive term in Congress.

Wells said he learned from that first bid and it's one reason why he thinks experience matters.

"I did learn a lot just by standing up here and speaking to people. Talking to people, you learn a lot. You really do," he said. "I feel like, no question, I'm a better candidate than I was before."

Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

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Steve Wells hopes issue-focused campaign will get him elected to Congress - The Citizen