Pete Musico, 42, is one of seven men charged by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on suspicion of being part of a militia group called the Wolverine Watchmen.
The right-wing group are alleged to have conspired with six other people to abduct Whitmer ahead of November’s election.
Musico is accused of leading the militia group along with fellow suspect Joseph Morrison from the home they shared in Munith. According to prosecutors, the pair conducted “tactical training” for the six people charged by the FBI at the address, as well as held meetings to discuss the alleged kidnapping plot.
The social media profiles for many of the 13 suspects reveal they held right-wing views as well as promoted conspiracy theories around COVID-19 and QAnon. The men also expressed anti-government opinions, including some actively calling for violence.
Musico was found to have a profile on the Gab, the infamous social network used by white supremacists and neo-Nazis.
In one post, Musico called for Michigan representative Debbie Dingell to be hanged for her support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration policy.
“Boycott Debbie Dingell of Michigan she does not care about our troops…she is a strong supporter of DACA and needs to be hung for treason or at least arrested for treason,” he wrote.
Dingell has been contacted for comment.
In another post, Musico claimed that “in South Africa they are killing White people” according to an unnamed person that is “so worried about her family back home.”
Musico also shared a number of posts on Gab by Joe Biggs, a leading figure of the far-right Proud Boys group.
On Twitter, Musico posted a number of pro-Donald Trump and pro-gun messages, although the account has been dormant since 2016.
In one tweet, Musico accuses former democratic presidential nominee Hilary Clinton of hiding the “illegitimate black child” of her husband, former president Bill Clinton.
Musico also retweeted a conspiracy theory which suggested that senator Ted Cruz’s father is linked to the assassination of John F Kennedy.
Musico was found to be more active on YouTube, including posting rants against Whitmer’s policies around auto ownership. In one video entitled “Gretchen Whitmer Interview,” Musico described how he intends to speak to the governor in person about her policies, reports The Daily Beast.
In another video, Musico attacks the government and politicians “who keep robbing us and taking our money” as well as asking “who’s right is it to tell you to wear a seat belt for your own safety.”
“What sense does it make to be told to be safe, to be forced to be safe?” Musico said. “It’s time to go after the government for its overreach.”
Elsewhere, fellow suspected Wolverine Watchmen member Eric Molitor was also found to have shared a number of right-wing conspiracy theories on social media, including ones spreading misinformation about COVID-19 and promoting QAnon.
Molitor also shared posts supporting Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old accused of murdering two people during Black Lives Matter protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, as well as the far-right Three Percenters group.
Similar content was also shared online by Brandon Caserta, one of the six men charged by the FBI in connection to the kidnapping plot.
In videos posted onto TikTok, Caserta is seen wearing a Hawaiian shirt also worn by members of the far-right Boogaloo movement, which is calling for a second civil war or preparing for the collapse of society.
“The price of freedom is eternal vigilance,” Caserta said in one video. “And indifference to this notion is the means by which the people can and will secure their own oppression. Wake the f**k up.”
Speaking after the charges were brought forward, Whitmer accused Trump of helping to promote violence by right-wing groups after he told Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” during the televised presidential debate.
“Hate groups heard the president’s words not as a rebuke, but as a rallying cry. As a call to action,” she said. “When our leaders speak, their words matter. They carry weight.”
Trump and Whitmer frequently clashed earlier in the year over the Democratic governor’s restrictions she imposed in the state, which resulted in a number of anti-lockdown protests attended by armed right-wing militia members.
Trump has also been accused of fueling the alleged plot after tweeting “LIBERATE MICHIGAN” while the stay-at-home orders were being put in place.
“When Governor Whitmer worked to protect her state from a deadly pandemic, President Trump issued a call to ‘LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” tweeted rival Joe Biden.
“That call was heard. He’s giving oxygen to the bigotry and hate we see on the march in our country—and we have to stop it.”
Trump dismissed the accusations in a number of tweets.
“Governor Whitmer of Michigan has done a terrible job. She locked down her state for everyone, except her husband’s boating activities,” Trump wrote.
“The Federal Government provided tremendous help to the Great People of Michigan. My Justice Department and Federal Law Enforcement announced today that they foiled a dangerous plot against the Governor of Michigan. Rather than say thank you, she calls me a White Supremacist-while Biden and Democrats refuse to condemn Antifa, Anarchists, Looters and Mobs that burn down Democrat run cities.”
Trump added: “I do not tolerate ANY extreme violence. Defending ALL Americans, even those who oppose and attack me, is what I will always do as your President! Governor Whitmer-open up your state, open up your schools, and open up your churches!”
