Marshall, Michigan, woman sentenced for threats against Gov. Whitmer

A 33-year-old woman has been sentenced in connection with threatening Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Monday.

Tabitha Davis of Marshall, Michigan, was charged with sending a message through Whitmer’s constituent services website that threatened the governor with violence, Nessel's office said in a statement.

Details were not released.

"Davis admitted to sending the message and initially claimed that it was protected speech," representatives said.

Davis pleaded guilty to malicious use of telecommunications services.

She was sentenced last week to four months probation and a suspended sentence of 20 days in jail. She was ordered to complete recommended mental health treatment and a substance abuse evaluation.

“Threatening public officials with violence for doing their jobs cannot stand,” Nessel said. “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 launched the unit in 2019 within the Criminal Division of the Department of Attorney General.

In 2020, FBI agents foiled a plot to kidnap Whitmer. The Democrat was targeted as part of a broad effort by anti-government extremists to trigger a civil war around the time of the presidential election, investigators have said.

This year, a northern Michigan man threatened to kill U.S. President Joe Biden and phoned in bomb threats nationwide, according to the FBI.

In March, federal prosecutors unsealed a case against Sebewaing resident Randall Robert Berka II, whom authorities linked to a YouTube account titled “kill all federal agents on sight and hang biden” that included threats to kill members of the LGBTQ+ community and Democrats, namely Whitmer.

A grand jury has also indicted an Adrian-area man accused of posting threats on Twitter to kill Jewish politicians, including Nessel.

Last month, a northern Michigan man accused of extremist, anti-government views pleaded guilty to possessing illegal pipe bombs. Prosecutors expressed concern about Terrence VanOchten engaging in "disturbing behavior," citing comments he made about putting Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi's head on a stick.