The FBI has fired an agent who played a major role in the prosecution of more than a dozen far-right members who made plans to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer over her strict coronavirus mandates, the Daily Mail has reported.
The dismissal of Richard Trask from the FBI comes two months after he was arrested for allegedly beating his wife.
Trask at first became the public face of the investigation into the kidnapping plot, as he testified in court, according to The Epoch Times.
But the FBI later dropped him as a witness after Trask’s social media posts were revealed that called former President Donald Trump a "douchebag" and other expletives.
In the incident in which he allegedly beat his wife, Trask is charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm, less than murder. He was released on $10,000 bail and is not allowed to carry a firearm.
Other federal agents involved in the case have also been scrutinized for wrongdoing, including one who owns a cyber intelligence company and tweeted about the investigation months before it was publicly reported, according to the Daily Mail.
The trial of five alleged kidnappers is scheduled to start on Oct. 12, but their lawyers have requested a 90-day delay to further probe the FBI agents involved in the case.
They claim they need time to investigate the government's use of at least a dozen confidential informants and undercover investigators.
Fourteen men with far-right ties have been arrested in the plot.
Ty Garbin has been the only alleged extremist to plead guilty to the plot, The Epoch Times reported. He was sentenced to six years and three months in prison.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.