The FBI has detained one of the major Republican contenders for governor of Michigan. Let’s see why was Republican candidate Ryan Kelley arrested.
Who is Ryan Kelley?
Kelley, 40, runs a real estate company in West Michigan. He attended Grand Rapids Community College after graduating from Jenison High School in 1999.
Kelley has been a vocal opponent of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s COVID-19 limits and is a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump.
Kelley staged a demonstration at the Michigan Capitol during the early months of the COVID outbreak, urging highly armed militias to meet inside the statehouse. He told The Associated Press that militia members are “law-abiding, lawful people who love this nation, with a couple of rotten apples here and there.”
I have a question for you: “Are there bad apples in pretty much every organization we have?” Kelley attended “Stop The Steal” protests in Lansing, where he spread phony election conspiracy theories.
He’s also said that Republicans should unplug voting equipment “if they see something they don’t like happening,” which is both illegal and counterproductive (machines have backup batteries and votes are counted by canvassing boards later).
What are the charges from January 6?
Kelley’s role in the January 6 insurgency has been well documented, but no charges have been brought against him until recently.
According to an affidavit filed by the FBI, Kelley was recorded on camera outside the Capitol, waving to the crowd and directing them to the building’s stairs.
He allegedly “filmed the mob attacking and pushing past U.S. Capitol Police Officers” on his cellphone. After causing police to retreat, he was later seen amid a mob that climbed the stairs to a Capitol door, according to the affidavit.
According to the criminal complaint, Kelley, who lives in Allendale Township, is accused of disrupting public order, harming public property, and accessing restricted territory without authority.
Republican candidate Ryan Kelley arrested
At this time, the Kelley campaign is not commenting on the arrest. On Thursday afternoon, he was arraigned and freed on charges.
Federal officials arrested Ryan Kelley, a Republican candidate for governor of Michigan, at his house on Thursday morning in connection with his role in the attack on the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, police said.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Mr. Kelley, 40, was arrested on four charges related to the Capitol incident.
According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court on Wednesday, the charges include one count of entering or remaining on restricted grounds and one count of engaging in physical violence on limited grounds.
What does this mean for the GOP governor’s primary in Michigan?
After numerous candidates were removed from the ballot for falsifying petition signatures, Kelley is one of only five GOP candidates left for the August Primary Election.
Former Detroit police chief James Craig was one of them, and he is widely considered to be the leading candidate to challenge Gov. Whitmer in November.
Kelley led the remaining field by four points in a recent MIRS poll.
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