A gubernatorial candidate in the state of Michigan was taken into custody Thursday morning for his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol.
FBI agents arrested Ryan Kelley in Allendale, Mich., on Thursday, one day after a criminal complaint was filed against him in federal court.
According to the complaint, Kelley, who is one of five candidates hoping to clinch the Republican nomination for Michigan governor in an upcoming primary election, is charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; knowingly engaging in any act of physical violence against a person or property in any restricted building or grounds; and willfully injuring or committing any depredation against any property of the United States.
A statement of facts detailing the charges paints a picture of Kelley’s alleged actions in D.C. on Jan. 6, explaining how a man agents believe to be him climbed onto the Capitol grounds’ architectural features, removed the covering from a temporary structure on the grounds, used his phone to film the crowd assaulting police officers, and repeatedly motioned for the crowd to move toward the Capitol entrance.
The statement also highlights Kelley’s past involvement with political protests, including speaking at a “Stop the Steal” rally in Lansing in November of 2020, where he is quoted saying, “Covid-19 was made so that they can use the propaganda to control your minds so that you think, if you watch the media, that Joe Biden won this election.”
He continued, “We’re not going to buy it. We’re going to stand and fight for America, for Donald Trump. We’re not going to let the Democrats steal this election.”
Kelley’s arrest comes at a particularly troubling time for the Michigan Republican Party, which is struggling to find a candidate strong enough to unseat Democratic incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in November.
Last month, five GOP candidates for Michigan governor, including two of the frontrunners, were disqualified from the race after state elections officials said they submitted fraudulent signatures on their petitions to run.
The shocking discovery threw the GOP race into flux only two months before the primary, leaving no obvious frontrunner, though some recent polls placed Kelley at the front of the pack.
Responding to Kelley’s arrest, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes said, “Just days after their field was cut in half due to corruption and mass fraud, Republican gubernatorial candidates’ callous disregard for the principles of democracy was on full display again today.”
Barnes’ statement also took the opportunity to criticize the other four GOP gubernatorial candidates.
“Tudor Dixon, Garrett Soldano, Kevin Rinke, and Ralph Rebandt have equally shouldered the same baseless lies about 2020 that spurred Ryan Kelley to storm the capital in search of war,” she said. “Michiganders won’t forget the role they played in dismantling public trust in democracy.”
On Thursday afternoon Ron Weiser, chair of the Michigan Republican Party, released a statement accusing Democrats of “weaponizing our justice system in an unprecedented way against their political opponents.”
“We are not a third world nation,” Weiser said. “Law and order are the bedrock of our democracy, but justice is not served when it is driven by a political agenda. Families and children are now becoming victims of political theater meant to distract from the failures of Democrat policy. It’s shameful and must end.”
I dont see how he can be arrested for acting on his CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT, as a citizen. The capital building belongs to “We the People”, and the “so-called reps” inside work for US. That is OUR house. We are NOT a Democracy. The United States of America is a CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC. It literally says in the Constitution that when the government becomes tyrannical and corrupt, we, as citizens, have the RIGHT TO THROW OFF THE GOVERNMENT, and start new.
i agree totally with Jesse Three Eagles.
If the Democrats are not brought under control very soon the will be successful in destroying our justice system. Why they would want to do this is the real question. All of them surely haven’t lost there love for this great nation. Even with all it’s faults it’s still the greatest country of all to live in. The American people are starting to wake up and when they do I hope that every one of them that want just more power over the people and more dollars in their banks are voted out of office. And yes USA first and then the other countries as we are able to help them.
We just moving back 250 are so years , where the kings an queens run everything, because they know more more than the pheasants , we just stupid an work an pay there salaries. , don’t you think folks will get enough of this soon ????
This country has been overthrown by the Democratic party in a way that should have everyone of them locked up. Every department in Washington DC is corrupt and Donald Trump exposed it and that’s why they hate him and those of us that are wise enough to know what happened! It took bloodshed to make this country is probably going to take bloodshed sooner or later to keep it
It is true that Donald Trump was going to expose and rid of all the crooks and corruption in Washington DC. That is why they hated him. They did everything to discredit him and make a phony campaign against him to get him out of their way. Now we are all going to suffer with all the horrible disasters and punishments they bestow on us. They need to be prosecuted by the full extent of the law for al their crooked insider deals and unethical policies.
AAAAAMEN!!!!!!
Jackass’s there was no riot!