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Guest Post By Sean Morgan, Editor of American Standard Media

In October 2020, just weeks before the U.S. presidential election, headlines exploded with the claim that a group of Trump supporting conservative men had been arrested for plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The timing was a little too perfect.

Revolver has covered the Whitmer fednapping plot in great detail.

President Trump himself took great interest in our reporting.

In an exclusive interview with Revolver, documentary filmmaker Christina Urso recaps out how the case unfolded, how the FBI ran the operation from start to finish, and how the justice system turned a blind eye to serious constitutional violations.

The First Red Flag

“I first heard about the case in October 2020,” Christina recalls. “Whitmer came out smirking — not the reaction of someone just informed of a violent plot against her. It felt off, especially with Michigan being a swing state right before the election.”

It reminded her of PATCON, a past FBI operation targeting right-wing groups. “It felt like the same playbook — FBI-engineered entrapment dressed up as domestic terror prevention.”

Entrapment or Full Fabrication?

The FBI deployed at least 12 informants, 2 undercover agents, and multiple online covert employees to create fake militia groups on platforms like Facebook.

“They paid informants, created training events, and even gave these working-class men drugs and alcohol — then used their intoxicated words as evidence,” Christina explains.

None of the 14 men had committed violence. Most had no criminal history and were represented by underpaid or negligent public defenders. Only two out of the 14 could afford private counsel.

Legal Railroading and Sabotaged Appeals

The first federal trial resulted in two acquittals and two mistrials. But the retrial was plagued by procedural irregularities:

  • Time limits were imposed on the defense — but not the prosecution
  • A juror accused of misconduct was made foreman
  • Both Adam Fox and Barry Croft were convicted and sent to Florence ADX Supermax Prison, despite having no prior records

Fox’s court-appointed attorney, Stephen Nolder, submitted a weak 75-page appeal brief lacking exhibits, omitted one of the charges, and failed to consult his client. As a result, Fox missed his Supreme Court filing deadline and now has no legal representation.

In contrast, Croft’s lawyer, Tim Sweeney, submitted a 300-page brief with 150 pages of exhibits and worked closely with Croft.

The FBI Scripted the Plot — Including the “Ringleader”

According to Christina, the true ringleader wasn’t Adam Fox — it was FBI informant Dan Chappel.

Chappel infiltrated a prepping group, transformed it into a militia, assigned leadership roles, conducted tactical training, and organized events. “He taught them how to shoot and clear rooms while the FBI filmed everything,” says Christina.

Another informant — a felon and convicted pedophile — created the fake “United States Patriot Three Percenters” militia and named Fox as Michigan chapter head. This was later used as “evidence” of leadership.

The FBI Planned the Recon Missions

FBI Special Agent Jayson Chambers, while moonlighting with a private intelligence company, arranged “recon” trips to Whitmer’s vacation home. Informants picked up defendants, got them high, and filmed the trips.

One defendant, Eric Molitor, didn’t even know the destination until they were nearly there — and was asked by Chappel to Google the address so his search could be used as “evidence.”

Staged Violence and Media Theater

The FBI ran the operation like a movie set: drones, mobile command centers, undercover agents with codenames, and rehearsed “shoot house” drills. But Christina insists: “It wasn’t criminal. It was a standard militia exercise — planned, paid for, and recorded by the FBI.”

Key Government Tactics

Informants gave the FBI login credentials to script online communications

FBI informants chaired meetings, bought supplies, built shoot houses, and provoked violent talk

Informants tricked men into attending fake “training” at Whitmer’s cottage

Defense teams were barred from showing the full chat logs for context

The Supreme Court Petition: Last Hope for Justice

Croft’s petition to the U.S. Supreme Court raises vital constitutional questions:

  • Was Croft’s right to present a defense violated?
  • Should the court have applied the Chapman standard — proving errors are harmless beyond reasonable doubt?
  • Did the Sixth Circuit wrongly penalize Croft for not testifying in his defense?

Despite less than a 1% chance of review, Christina says, “This case is too egregious to be ignored.”

Adam Fox: Abandoned by the System

Fox’s appeal was sabotaged by his own attorney. The Sixth Circuit refused his request for new counsel, and he missed the Supreme Court deadline. He now has no legal path forward — only a presidential pardon can help.

Others Still Imprisoned

Three other men — Joe Morrison, Paul Bellar, and Pete Musico — were convicted at the state level in Michigan and are currently appealing. While ineligible for a presidential pardon, political pressure can be put on Gov. Whitmer and the state of Michigan to issue clemency.

What Needs to Happen

To move forward, Urso suggests several urgent steps. First, fundraising and legal support are essential. Barry Croft’s legal team needs financial backing to continue their advocacy, and a competent legal team must be assembled for Adam Fox, who currently has no representation. In addition, funding is required for public relations and advocacy efforts to ensure this case reaches a wider audience.

A mass awareness campaign must also be launched. This includes sharing articles, videos, and social media posts that tag key figures such as President Trump and Ed Martin, the U.S. Pardon Attorney. The campaign should aim to expose the judicial suppression of exculpatory evidence and demand a congressional investigation into FBI misconduct. Social media should be used strategically to pressure political leaders and drive public attention toward the need for pardons and justice.

What’s Next: The Documentary

Christina and her husband are now producing a feature-length documentary to reveal what mainstream media won’t.
“The non-profit Patriot Freedom Project is one of the only groups that seems to care about these defendants. They are supporting us with our documentary project, but we need more support,” says Urso.

“This isn’t just entrapment,” Christina says. “It’s a full-blown setup by the federal government. If they can do this to poor, patriotic Americans, they can do it to anyone.”

Watch the Trailer:

How You Can Help:

Donate to the Collective Legal Defense Fund: give.cornerstone.cc/patriotfreedomproject
(make a note that your donation is for the Whitmer Fednapping Defendants)

Donate to the documentary: kandkfilm.com/donate

Write to the prisoners or send books: kandkfilm.com/help-the-guys

Follow Christina on X: @NotRadix

Follow the documentary: @KandKFilm

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