LANSING, MI (WTVB) – The Michigan Court of Appeals has vacated the convictions of Pete Musico and Paul Bellar, two men previously found guilty in connection with the 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
The appellate judges ruled on Monday that the state’s Anti-Terrorism Act does not legally define kidnapping as an act of terrorism, which directly nullifies the specific charge of providing material support for terrorism that the men were convicted of. This decision closely follows a similar ruling just weeks prior, which also overturned the conviction of a third co-defendant, Joseph Morrison, on identical grounds.
In response to the rulings, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel strongly condemned the court’s interpretation of the law, labeling the outcome in the initial Morrison case a “disastrous decision.” Nessel announced that her office has already initiated the appeals process to challenge the reversal of Morrison’s conviction and confirmed plans to aggressively pursue appeals for both Musico and Bellar as well.
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