As more details begin to surface about who exactly took part in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol last year, several more people are officially being held accountable. The latest is Ryan Kelley, a Republican candidate for governor in Michigan, who was arrested yesterday (June 9) as a result of his connection and participation in the riot.
Kelley has been charged with knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, knowingly engaging in an act of physical violence against any person or property in a restricted building or grounds, and willfully injuring or committing any depredation against a property of the United States.
After the execution of a search warrant on his home in Allendale, Michigan, Kelley was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor, according to U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. In a statement, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said Kelley was set to make an initial court appearance later on Thursday.
Kelley had initially downplayed his involvement in the events that occurred at the Capitol. However, analysis of multiple videos shows Kelley on the steps outside the building rallying the crowd. Last summer, the Michigan Democratic Party promoted a video of Kelley at the time, saying, “Come on, let’s go! This is it! This is — this is war, baby!”
“As far as going through any barricades, or doing anything like that, I never took part in any forceful anything,” Kelley told MLive in March 2021, after launching his campaign. “Once things started getting crazy, I left.”
Kelley is among the many Michigan GOP members challenging Democratic incumbent Gretchen Whitmer in this fall’s midterm election. Five potential candidates were previously disqualified for submitting too many fraudulent signatures.