“During Tuesday’s opening statements at the trial of three men accused of aiding the 2020 alleged militia plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, defense attorney Bill Barnett made accurate statements about an FBI informant involved in the case—describing how the informant, Dan Chappel, became the second in command of a militia, trained his fellow members and encouraged them to commit crimes.
State prosecutor Bill Rollstin objected to Barnett’s factual statements, accusing him of trying to ‘poison the jury’ by arguing that the FBI entrapped his client.
Barnett responded to Rollstin’s claim by arguing that he’s only presenting true facts to the jury.
‘I was stating facts that are in the police reports. Everything’s a fact. They don’t want to hear facts in this case,’ he said.
Barnett further said that he’s not even arguing that his client, Eric Molitor, was entrapped. Barnett said Molitor didn’t have anything to do with the kidnapping conspiracy and is innocent of any wrongdoing.
‘I never once said, ‘entrapment,’’ the lawyer said. “I’m sorry I had to tell the whole story that’s not being told here [about FBI informants provoking the plot].’
However, Judge Charles Hamlyn agreed with the prosecution. The judge claimed that by noting that an FBI informant was second in command of a militia supposedly plotting to kidnap Whitmer, Barnett was essentially making an entrapment defense.”