One of the ringleaders behind an FBI-thwarted kidnapping plot against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was an outspoken anarchist, video evidence shows.
The FBI charged six people on Thursday involved in a plot to kidnap Whitmer and “target and kill police officers” over aspirations of overthrowing the government and creating a new society, Detroit Free Press reported.
One of those six individuals, Brandon Caserta, posted a series of videos to his YouTube account in which he promoted anarchist ideology while posing in front of an anarchist flag. The social media platform removed his videos, but producer and director Robby Starbuck reposted the videos to his Twitter account.
In one video, Caserta referred to police as “a violent gang that has eachother’s back,” adding that they are “enemies” of freedom.
Watch this video of Brandon Caserta. He was arrested for plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. In this video he poses in front of an anarchist flag and calls police “a violent gang” and “enemies”. He’s an anarchist who hates government and police. pic.twitter.com/gYxaDQXcIj
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) October 8, 2020
In another video, Caserta described the Declaration of Independence as “an anarchist document,” saying, “It was a document that said, ‘you’re not the boss of me.’ That’s an anarchist document. Anarchy doesn’t mean chaos.”
In another video, he said supporting police is “supporting the people who are enforcing slavery one everyone else.”
“By you participating in the government, you’re participating in slavery dude for everyone else.”
He says voting for anyone “is admitting that you believe in the legitimacy of authority which means you believe in the legitimacy of slavery.”
Brandon Caserta is an anarchist. pic.twitter.com/8ypXeAP4kH
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) October 8, 2020
In an affidavit filed this week, an FBI agent detailed conversations of Caserta and the five other individuals — Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, and Daniel Harris — discussing the kidnapping and overthrow plot.
In one conversation, Caserta told another of his group’s members, “Go on someone’s property and stuff like that. I would rather not scare them. Especially if it’s a fuckin’ political parasite. The world would be better without that person, I’ll say that.”
In another conversation about involving a militia group to form an armed protest at the state Capitol, Caserta said, “When the time comes there will be no need to try and strike fear through presence. The fear will be manifested through bullets.”
The FBI affidavit also said the group of six had “talked about murdering ‘tyrants’ or ‘taking’ a sitting governor,” had undergone training and extensive discussions for the plot, and even surveilled Whitmer’s vacation home at least twice.
