Two Michigan brothers acquitted in connection with the alleged 2020 plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are now suing the FBI and multiple officials, alleging the government helped manufacture the case against them.
Michael and William Null were found not guilty in September 2023 of aiding the alleged militia plot. In a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday, according to Headline USA, the brothers claim undercover FBI agents and informants fueled the events that later became the basis for criminal charges.
Brothers Say Informant Opened the Door
The lawsuit focuses in part on FBI confidential human source Steve Robeson, whom the complaint says worked with the bureau from Oct. 20, 2019, until Oct. 27, 2020, and was paid $19,328.79.
According to the complaint quoted by Headline USA, that money covered gatherings and expenses tied to meetings in Dublin, Ohio; Cambria, Wisconsin; and Peebles, Ohio.
“William Null was in Dublin because Robeson put him there,” the lawsuit alleges. “Both brothers were in Wisconsin because Robeson opened that door.”
The brothers also allege that the case caused severe personal and financial harm even after their acquittal. Their complaint says property was damaged during law enforcement activity, including an allegation that a government mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle caused $18,000 in damage to a car.
“Their business, Null Building and Remodeling, was destroyed by the brand ‘domestic terrorist,’” the lawsuit alleges.
Lawsuit Names FBI Agents and Michigan Officials
The lawsuit names the FBI as well as individual agents, including Steven D’Antuono, Richard Trask, Henrik Impola, Mark Schweers, Timothy Bates and Jayson Chambers, according to the report.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, the Michigan State Police and other state and local actors are also listed as defendants.
The Null brothers are seeking compensatory damages, attorneys’ fees and costs. The defendants had not yet responded in court, according to the source report.
Trial Disputes Resurface
The lawsuit follows a trial that ended with acquittals for Michael Null, William Null and co-defendant Eric Molitor. During that 2023 case, Judge Charles Hamlyn ruled that the defendants could not present entrapment as a legal defense, according to Headline USA’s prior reporting cited in the source.
The source report also says the defense challenged the government’s use of informants and questioned FBI agent Henrik Impola about whether an informant trained men accused in the alleged plot.
Defense attorney William Barnett asked Impola, “How is it that you’re allowing your informant, who’s supposed to be a listening post, to train for an illegal purpose?” He added, “He’s basically training them for the crime we’re here for, isn’t he?”
The complaint and prior trial account also allege inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case and disputes over evidence. Those claims remain allegations unless and until they are resolved in court.
For now, the new lawsuit turns the aftermath of the Whitmer kidnapping prosecutions into a broader legal fight over FBI informants, government conduct and the damage the acquitted men say they still carry.
