'Terrorism': Michigan woman sentenced for violent threats against Gretchen Whitmer

A woman from Marshall, Michigan has been sentenced for making violent threats against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, WWMT reported on Monday.

"Tabitha Davis, 33, of Marshall, was sentenced to four months probation and a suspended sentence of 20 days in jail, according to Attorney General Dana Nessel," said the report, noting that Davis was also required to undergo a substance abuse and mental health evaluation.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Davis sent the threatening message, whose exact content has not been identified, through a constituent services website. She admitted to being the sender when questioned by authorities, but claimed that the message was protected speech.

“This conduct constitutes terrorism and my Hate Crimes and Domestic Terrorism Unit is uniquely qualified to prosecute these crimes and hold accountable those who commit them," Nessel said in an announcement.

Whitmer, who was first elected in 2018 and became known for her heavy-handed measures to control the spread of COVID-19 in 2020, became a target of intense hatred from far-right groups. A group of men were arrested for an elaborate plot to kidnap and assassinate Whitmer, along with a number of other plans like blowing up a bridge to distract police while they carried it out. While the prosecution was initially stymied by FBI missteps that led to acquittals and mistrials for some of the alleged plotters, two of the ringleaders, Adam Fox and Barry Croft, were convicted last August.

There have been other threats against Whitmer as well, including one brought by Sebawaing resident Randall Robert Berka II, a man with a history of mental illness who made online threats against her, as well as several other Democrats, federal agents, "anyone who tries to take my guns," and LGBTQ people.