Gov. Whitmer’s team reports security incident at summer home in August
On Tuesday, the office of Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer disclosed that in August, an unauthorized person tried to climb a cliff at her official summer home on Mackinac Island but was intercepted by her security personnel.
JoAnne Huls, Whitmer’s chief of staff, reported an incident involving a person trying to infiltrate the governor’s property via an off-limits area. She emphasized the gravity of this attempt in light of the past conspiracy to abduct and assassinate the governor and continuous threats to other state leaders. Whitmer expressed her gratitude to the Michigan State Police for their prompt and vigilant response. The office is liaising with relevant authorities as the investigation proceeds, reiterating that violent or intimidating conduct against public officials is unacceptable in Michigan and the nation.
The event occurred on August 26, when the person was spotted attempting to climb a cliff near the governor’s home on Mackinac Island, though it led to no arrests.
Colonel James F. Grady, head of the Michigan State Police, separately confirmed to The Hill that someone was detained and interrogated in a restricted zone of the Mackinac Island property. He affirmed the seriousness with which the force is handling the incident and their commitment to scrutinizing the individual’s motives and any potential links to prior or current threats against governmental figures.
This revelation follows three years after a group of 14 militia members faced charges in both state and federal courts for planning to seize Whitmer from her summer home, spurred by their opposition to her COVID-19 measures. The court found nine guilty, while five were acquitted. The final trial ended recently with the acquittal of three individuals.
This incident underscores the ongoing concerns over violent threats to politicians. In a recent, unrelated event, a man was arrested after unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm into Wisconsin’s state capital in Madison, insisting on a meeting with Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat. Although he was initially detained and posted bail the same day, he reappeared at the capital with a more dangerous weapon and was rearrested.
