House Speaker Says Whitmer Endangered Legislators By Not Disclosing Capitol Terrorism Plot

The Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives has accused Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of withholding information from state legislators about a plot by alleged militia members to storm the state Capitol and take hostages. Republican Rep. Lee Chatfield says Whitmer knew about the plot but did not alert legislators or the state Capitol security team.

Chatfield made the claim in a Saturday post on Facebook.

“Why weren’t we in the Legislature warned of the plot to take hostages at the Capitol?” Chatfield said in his Facebook post. “The plot by these terrorists was against us too. Why weren’t House sergeants warned? You knew, and we weren’t even given a warning. We had people working in the building every day doing essential work, and their lives matter too.”

According to an FBI report, militia members had plans to attack the Capitol building.

A federal criminal complaint states that Adam Fox said in a June 14 recorded conversation that he needed 200 men to “storm the Capitol building” and take hostages, including the governor.

Fox was one of 13 men charged with trying to kidnap Whitmer.

Whitmer’s office didn’t immediate respond to an email seeking comment.

The Gongwer News Service reported Oct. 8 that Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II "would not say exactly when the governor was made aware of the plot, saying he did not want to get into the specifics of the investigation. He would only say law enforcement has been looking into it for at least a couple months."

Gongwer reported that Gilchrist said a briefing was given "at the highest level" that law enforcement was about to act and announce its actions.