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Judge hears second day of testimony for three alleged plotters

"Legal Gavel & Closed Law Book" by Visual Content is licensed with CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

A Jackson County judge is hearing a second day of testimony in a pre-trial hearing for three men accused of plotting to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

During the pre-trial hearing, Defense attorney Nicholas Somberg said his client's talk of going after the governor was nothing more than just talk.

But on the stand, FBI Special Agent Henrik Impola disagreed with the characterization.

“I mean you would agree guys kind of talk crap with their friends, when they're with their boys? They can," said Impola. "It’s not the type of talk I talk in the locker room.”

Pete Musico, Joseph Morrison and Paul Bellar are facing state terrorism charges for their alleged role in the plot.

More than a dozen men are accused of plotting to storm the state capitol building and abduct the governor. 

Steve Carmody has been a reporter for Michigan Public since 2005.