Seven of the 13 men charged this past week in the plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor were part of a self-styled militia known as the “Wolverine Watchmen,” prosecutors say. Concerns about such groups from law-enforcement officials have been mounting, particularly after protesters armed with AR-15 style rifles showed up at Michigan’s state capitol earlier this year, calling for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to reopen businesses barred from operating during the coronavirus pandemic. Law-enforcement officials and researchers have also expressed concerns that private militias will turn up at Election Day polling sites. Strictly defined, militias are groups of people supported by the government who can be mobilized to supplement traditional armed services.

Source: Wall Street Journal October 10, 2020 22:52 UTC