Eric Molitor, of Cadillac, MI, was charged in Antrim County in October of 2020 with:
Providing material support for terrorist acts – a 20-year felony and/or $20,000 fine; and
Carrying or possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony; felony firearm – a two-year mandatory prison sentence to be served consecutively.
He is currently awaiting trial in the 13TH Circuit Court, in Antrim County, MI
Below is a transcript of a short clip from my interveiw of Molitor on January 8, 2023:
VanDussen: During your preliminary examination, your attorney, Bill Barnett, he argued that certain audio clips – that of, containing your voice that were secretly recorded, I’m assuming by [confidential informant] Dan – that the government cherry-picked those from hours and hours of recordings and your words – and your words were taken out of context. So, you just talked about it a little bit, but what context do you believe was missing from the audio recordings?
Molitor: All right. So the context being that I did not know what the ride was. I did not know that I just hopped in a vehicle with two guys who were going to go plan to kidnap a fucking governor. So to say that I did. Right. So you asked for – like what they said about me that’s not true. That’s just number one. And I had to give you some background on it. So I’m sorry for talking so much, but it does matter.
VanDussen: That’s fine.
Molitor: Um, so yeah. So that’s one of the lies. But that’s – that’s why I’m telling you this stuff is because I didn’t know what the ride was about. So how could I even say: “No, I’m not done with that. Dude – like, stay the fuck away from me. I’m not going to send you my address.” I didn’t even have the opportunity to do that for myself. The first thing that I did hear when I got in the truck was Adam [Fox] said something about we’re going to blow up – something about blowing up the bitch’s boat, or something like that. I have heard so many dark jokes about the boat because her husband asked if he could put his boat in the marina, because he’s the governor’s husband.
Okay. And people, so many people – I, I have a dark sense of humor. A lot of us guys do have a dark sense of humor in these circles. So, I just thought he was making a fucking joke. Who the hell sits down with somebody you don’t know and says something like that, if it was serious? But he laughed about it.
* * *
VanDussen: With the exhibits that you have right there in front of you, those have exhibit stickers on them, and they were obviously admitted during your preliminary examination.
Molitor: Yes.
VanDussen: So there’s a distinction between the evidence that was actually admitted during your preliminary examination and all the other, two terabytes of information – that’s what I’ve been told.
Molitor: Yep.
VanDussen: That each of the attorneys received from either the Department of Justice or, and or the Attorney General’s office in response to discovery demands. And you’re aware that there was a protective order issued by 86TH District Court Judge Stepka at the initiation of your case, that your attorney stipulated to? You’re aware that?
Molitor: That he stipulated to while I was in jail. Yes. He said that he signed it on my behalf and then he asked me about it. Yes.
VanDussen: But, I guess what I’m getting at is that, you know, that your attorney made an argument at the preliminary examination that there’s this cherry-picking of evidence. And would you – what is your feeling about that protective order that prohibits you from being – having the ability to provide me, a journalist, with all of the – the entire recordings – like a five hour recording where they take a clip that’s 15 seconds out of, for instance.
Molitor: I would give it to you. I would give – if it was up to me, you would have it. Oh, my gosh, dude.
VanDussen: So the two terabytes, you would give me?
Molitor: Yes. If it was up to me, I have a flat – a little thumb drive thing and I got this fucking computer thing that the [Michigan] Attorney General’s handed over. I’m like, what the fuck? I mean, you asking about all this stuff, dude, I can show you stacks of paper. I got all of it. Stacks of papers, and this is what I’m dwindled down to it. I’m not even into all of it. All that is everybody else. Everybody else went to meetings. Everybody else helped with planning. Everybody else talked. Everybody else. Everybody else did shit. What the – name one meeting that I was a part of where I knew what was going on and said, “yeah.” Dude, I was not at any – any of these. Even the FTX training in Luther. Nobody talked about anything in front of me.
