Particle.news
Download on the App Store
55 ARTICLES
·
21h ago

Trump Weighs Pardons for Convicted Whitmer Kidnapping Plotters

Justice Department pardon attorney Ed Martin has urged a review of their sentences, a step Governor Gretchen Whitmer has publicly opposed.

President Donald Trump listens as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks during a visit with Michigan Air National Guard Troops on April 29, 2025 at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan. Trump will travel to Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan to hold a rally where he is expected to highlight his accomplishments during his first 100 days in office, including closing the border, job creation and the economy.

Overview

  • President Trump told reporters he will "take a look" at pardoning Barry Croft Jr. and Adam Fox after calling their federal trial "somewhat of a railroad job."
  • Croft and Fox were found guilty in 2022 of leading the Wolverine Watchmen militia’s plan to abduct Governor Gretchen Whitmer and are serving 19- and 16-year prison sentences respectively.
  • Ed Martin, the Justice Department’s new pardon attorney, said he will take a "hard look" at the cases and likened the plotters to victims of prosecutorial overreach.
  • Governor Whitmer said she advised the president that a pardon would be "the wrong decision" and has insisted those convicted remain accountable for their actions.
  • He has pardoned more than 1,500 January 6 defendants, fueling criticism about his handling of domestic extremist cases.