Michigan jury acquits 3 men in plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

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Former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee joins ‘Fox & Friends First’ to discuss the possibility of a presidential run by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the calls for his daughter, Gov. Sarah Sanders, to remove the cross outside her home.

Three men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 were acquitted Friday. 

William Null, twin brother Michael Null, and Eric Molitor were found not guilty of providing support for a terrorist act and a weapon charge. Deliberations began Thursday. 

“You gentlemen are free to leave,” Judge Charles Hamlyn said.

The trio is the last of 14 men to face charges in state or federal court. Nine were convicted and now five have been cleared.

MAN CHARGED WITH AIDING MICHIGAN GOV. WHITMER KIDNAPPING ATTEMPT PORTRAYED HIMSELF AS TERRIFIED BY PLOT 

Eric Molitor, William Null, twin brother Michael Null and were found not guilty of providing support for a terrorist act and a weapon charge linked to an alleged kidnapping plot involving Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.  (AP)

The Nulls and Molitor were accused of participating in military-style drills and traveling to the area around Whitmer’s vacation home in northern Michigan in what prosecutors have described as a homegrown terrorism plot. Key players Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. were each convicted of kidnapping conspiracy last year. 

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said the “verdicts are not what we hoped for.”

A juror approached Molitor outside the courthouse and “said he was very sorry for all he had gone through,” defense attorney William Barnett told The Associated Press. “The man shook his hand and gave him a hug.”

“They went after three peoples’ lives and destroyed them for three years,” Barnett said of the attorney general’s office. “I’m just lost for words. This is an emotional moment.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (AP Photo/Alex Brandon/File)

Authorities said the plot against Whitmer simmered in 2020 and was fueled by government restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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After the plot was thwarted, Whitmer blamed then-President Donald Trump, saying he had given “comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division.” Trump called the kidnapping plan a “fake deal” in August 2022.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com.