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Quote:Internal FBI reports and undercover recordings obtained by The Intercept regarding a kidnapping plot of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have raised questions as to whether the FBI pursued a larger effort to encourage political violence leading up to the 2020 election.

The documents reportedly revealed that federal agents had at times put Americans in danger as the Whitmer plot grew, with one instance revealing that the FBI knew that Wolverine Watchmen militia members would enter the Michigan capitol with guns and suspected that one man would have a grenade and didn’t stop them.

One of the FBI’s informants, Stephen Robeson, was paid $20,000 to participate. FBI agents reportedly knew that two other informants in the case and some defendants believed Robeson was actually behind the plot.

On December 10, 2020, Robeson was called to the FBI’s Milwaukee office, during which a five-hour conversation was recorded.

One of Robeson’s handlers reportedly told him during this meeting, "A saying we have in my office is, ‘Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story,’ right?" This recording was never allowed into evidence.

Robeson was asked to sign a nondisclosure agreement, and "proceeded to coach and threaten him to shape his story and ensure that he would never testify before a jury," The Intercept reported.

This coercion reportedly undermined the Department of Justice’s claims that Robeson was a "double agent."

“We know we have power, right?” an FBI agent told Robeson. “We know we have leverage. We’re not going to bullsh*t you.”

The FBI agents also knew that Robeson had committed crimes while working for the FBI. Robeson has reportedly been in and out of the criminal justice system since the 1980s, with charges that include having sex with a minor, writing bad checks, jumping bail, and other offenses. Robeson has also admitted to being part of an outlaw motorcycle gang.

Agents were reportedly concerned over messages that Robeson had sent to Barry Croft Jr that had alluded to using violence against elected officials, which Croft’s lawyer could potentially use to suggest that the entire plot had actually been Robeson’s idea, not Croft’s.

“This is something that we’re all going to have to overcome,” agent Henrik Impola told Robeson, adding a few minutes later: “It quickly becomes, from a defense strategy, ‘Well, this was Robey’s idea from day one.’”

The FBI recruited Robeson to be an informant after coming to their attention through a program known as Operation Bronze Griffon. FBI report records revealed that agents received a Bronze Griffon lead on Robeson for posting "possibly violent rhetoric in support of the militia movement and the Boogaloo concept," with Robeson later telling agents he knew of militia members who had spoken about attacking law enforcement officials.

Robeson, once on the FBI’s payroll, organized and led several militia planning meetings, including one that took place on June 6, 2020 in Dublin, Ohio that had both Croft and Adam Fox in attendance.

Informants worked to position Fox as the leader of the group, with Robeson suggesting that Fox launch a Michigan chapter of the Patriot Three Percenters. The first few members of a Facebook group for the organization were FBI informant Jenny Plunk, Robeson, and Fox and his girlfriend Amanda Keller.

While the FBI informants had set up the group, Robeson wrote in a welcome message that Fox was the “CO” of the group, or commanding officer.

Robeson also posted an invitation to a new Facebook group for a weekend tactical training session in Cambria, Wisconsin, which 30 people attended including Fox, his girlfriend, and a few members of the Wolverine Watchmen.

Robeson was seen in videos obtained by the FBI giving directions to attendees.

During the meeting, Impola asked, "The question becomes: Did a bunch of terrorists Shanghai your training for their purposes, or did you set up a training for terrorists? That’s the question, right? There’s a training that happened in which a terrorist operation was planned and played out, and you’re involved in setting it up.”

Robeson and fellow informant Dan Chappel were said to have "literally brainwashed" Frank Butler, a Virginia Navy Veteran, who told investigators that the two had been "weaponizing me." Butler and Chappel had discussed a plan, that went nowhere, to fly a drone rigged with explosives to the Virginia governor’s North Carolina vacation home.

On October 7, 2020, Robeson, Chappel, and Plunk were heard in a recorded phone call talking about who should make future calls to action, with Chappel saying, "I mean, I’m good with Robey, because you’re the national guy, the president," later adding "We have one chief."

“We can definitely roll,” Robeson said. “That’s fine.”

13 people were arrested by the FBI that day. After the initial wave of arrests, Robeson made several calls to people associated with the plot, claiming that Croft had leaked information that caused the arrests. Robeson also called Chappel, telling him to throw a rifle with an illegal suppressor and attached launcher in a lake. Robeson at the time did not know that Chappel also worked for the FBI. The gun in question had already been returned to FBI handlers.

The December 2020 meeting revealed FBI agents laying out three possible scenarios for Robeson: "The first was that all the defendants would take plea deals, in which case 'your name is not on the witness list,’ Impola said. The second was that Robeson could be a government witness or, in the third option, a witness for the defendants whose testimony could support their claims of entrapment," The Intercept reported.

“I am fairly confident that when anybody looks at that witness list, they’re not going to trial now because they know the ramifications,” said Impola.

A fourth option was not mentioned to Robeson, that the Department of Justice could hit Robeson with firearms charges for crimes he committed while working undercover for the FBI. Robeson, a felon, was prohibited from obtaining a firearm.

Robeson was indicted on March 3, 2021, by the justice department on the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Robeson claimed during his plea hearing, "I did this trying to keep my undercover position where I was at and kind of make me look a little more aggressive in the organization." He was sentenced to probation on a federal felony charge.