Grant and Lincoln's invitation

[L Verge]

David Keehn, who wrote that great book on the Knights of the Golden Circle found that William O'Laughlen, Mike's older brother, was a member of that group and that Michael may have been also. He also suggested that William was supposed to be the one in Booth's original kidnap gang, but that Michael became the substitute when William became a new father.

It might make sense that Michael would become an informant once the plan turned to something more sinister. The friends that he came to D.C. with from Baltimore to see the Illuminations said that Mike would disappear every now and then - perhaps to meet up with Booth to find out what was really going on. There's no evidence to indicate any plan was afoot for the night of the 13th (and if my family story is correct, Herold wasn't in town on the 13th), when O'Laughlen MIGHT have been at the Stanton house.