Jessica Garrison
Contact this reporter at jessica.garrison@buzzfeed.com
An Informant In The Michigan Kidnapping Case Has Been Charged With Fraud
Even while he was assisting the FBI, Stephen Robeson allegedly used a fake charity to defraud a Wisconsin couple out of an SUV.
The Judge In The Oath Keepers Case Won’t Dismiss Conspiracy Charges
In a long-awaited ruling, Judge Amit Mehta says the 17 Oath Keepers will face trial on charges that they conspired to disrupt Congress.
An FBI Agent In The Michigan Kidnapping Case Has Pleaded No Contest To Assaulting His Wife
Richard Trask, who had been the public face of the high-profile investigation, was fired by the FBI following his July arrest. He is one of three agents in the Whitmer kidnapping case whom the government will no longer call as witnesses.
A Third FBI Agent Will Not Be Testifying In The Michigan Kidnapping Case
Henrik Impola had been accused of perjury in a different case. Prosecutors called the allegation “unfounded” but said he wouldn’t be a witness when the trial begins in March.
The FBI Investigation Into The Alleged Plot To Kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Has Gotten Very Complicated
The case seemed like a lock — until an informant and one FBI agent were charged with crimes, another was accused of perjury, and a third was found promoting a private security firm. And that wasn’t all.
Leaked Oath Keepers Data Shows At Least 28 Elected Officials Have Ties To The Group
The far-right group is sometimes associated with anti-government ideas, but on a local level, it has already made inroads in democratic institutions.
He Belongs To A Right-Wing Extremist Group — And Is Running To Represent Ultraliberal Park Slope, Brooklyn
In the wake of the Jan. 6 riots, some Oath Keepers like Brett Wynkoop are pursuing a new frontier: elected office.
Hacked Oath Keepers Records Show Active Members Of Law Enforcement And The Military Tried To Join The Group After Jan. 6
The records from 2020 and 2021 also reveal a chaotic organization with hundreds of people demanding to cancel their memberships.
Michigan's Attorney General Says The Men Accused In The Whitmer Kidnapping Plot Weren’t Entrapped
“They unhesitatingly committed the charged crimes with no prodding or encouragement from [the informant] or the FBI agents assigned to this case. Any argument to the contrary is ridiculous.”
A Key Informant In The Michigan Kidnapping Case Has Struck A Plea Deal
Stephen Robeson of Wisconsin, who helped infiltrate the alleged conspiracy, will serve two years of probation for a separate gun possession charge.
Michigan Kidnapping Plot Defendants Have Asked To Subpoena Twitter About A Right-Wing Troll
Citing a BuzzFeed News article, they claim data could help determine whether an FBI agent controlled the @ravagiing account, which appeared to tweet about the case while it was still secret.
Lawyers In Michigan Kidnapping Case Are Seeking Information About An FBI Agent’s Internet Intelligence Company
To pursue their entrapment defense, the defendants seek information about an agent whose business ties emerged in a recent BuzzFeed News article.
A Right-Wing Troll Appears To Have Tweeted About An FBI Investigation Into The Michigan Kidnapping Plot Before It Went Public
Adding to the confusion, one of the lead FBI agents in the case is listed as the owner of an “internet intelligence company” for which the troll claims to be CEO. No one is talking.
A Defendant In The Michigan Kidnapping Case Has Been Sentenced To 75 Months In Prison
Prosecutors say Ty Garbin, the only defendant in the alleged scheme to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to have pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with the investigation, will be a “star witness” in the upcoming trial.
The Fire In Paradise Paints A Grim Picture Of Our Future
Lizzie Johnson’s new book about the 2018 Camp fire in Northern California chronicles our nightmarish present — and future — with climate change–driven massive wildfires.
Watching The Watchmen
The Michigan kidnapping case is a major test for the Biden administration’s commitment to fighting domestic terrorism — and a crucible for the fierce ideological divisions pulling the country apart.
The FBI Allegedly Used At Least 12 Informants In The Michigan Kidnapping Case
Defense attorneys said they will argue that the FBI “induced or persuaded” the defendants to go along with the violent scheme.
A Member Of The Oath Keepers Who Stormed The Capitol Has Pleaded Guilty To Conspiring To Block Certification Of The Election
Graydon Young, who will cooperate with prosecutors, said he was attempting to intimidate and coerce elected officials when he entered the Capitol with more than a dozen members of the Oath Keepers.
Right-Wing Extremists Set Up A Planning Meeting Ahead Of The Capitol Riot In January
James Breheny of New Jersey is alleged to have been in contact with Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and to have invited him to a meeting of “multiple patriot groups” just before Jan. 6.
The Oath Keepers Are Facing New Membership And Money Issues Following The Capitol Riot
BuzzFeed News has gained a rare look inside the controversial organization through financial documents and membership data.