Ryan Kelley Michigan

2022 - 6 - 9

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Detroit Free Press"

FBI arrests Michigan gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley during ... (Detroit Free Press)

Ryan Kelley, one of five GOP candidates for Michigan governor, faces misdemeanor charges stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol.

Kelley also drew ire from residents for his defense of a controversial statue in the township’s Garden of Honor depicting a Confederate soldier as part of its Civil War memorial. Kelley's involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot had prompted some Allendale residents to call for his removal during township board meetings in Jan. 2021. Kelley also "climbed onto and stood on an architectural feature next to the North West stairs and indicated by waving his hand that the crowd behind him should move towards the stairs" leading into the building, the affidavit said. This is — this is war, baby!" In June 2021, the Michigan Democratic Party shared a video of Kelley outside the Capitol on Jan. 6 of that year. In an affidavit related to Thursday's complaint, an agent said Kelley was seen on video "wearing a black hat and a black coat ... in a crowd of people who are assaulting and pushing past law enforcement officers."

Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate Kelley arrested on Jan. 6 riot ... (The Detroit News)

FBI agents arrested Republican gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley on Thursday and searched his home near Grand Rapids.

Three other witnesses helped FBI agents confirm the man shown in photos and videos of the riot was Kelley, who also has served as an Allendale Township Planning Commission member. Kelley's wife and children left the home with backpacks in hand and got into a family van moments after Kelley was taken into custody, Niewiadomski said. Craig also has said he’d consider a write-in campaign. This is– this is war, baby!” as he moved toward the Capitol building. And he’s here now,” DeMarco said. And they arrested him. In October, he attended another American Patriot Council event in Allendale. Again, Kelley wore similar clothing. "He gave a speech while wearing a name tag and stated ‘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,’” the court filing continues. “'We’re not going to buy it. Niewiadomski said she can’t personally stand Kelley as a politician. This is it! Prosecutors filed four charges against Kelley, 40.

Ryan Kelley: FBI arrests Michigan Republican gubernatorial ... (CNN)

A GOP Michigan gubernatorial candidate, Ryan Kelley, was arrested Thursday on misdemeanor charges related to his involvement in the Capitol riot on January ...

The court's unanimous decisions marked a major setback for the affected candidates, including former Detroit Police chief James Craig, who have filed legal challenges in an effort to revive their campaigns. Kelley's arrest adds another twist to an already chaotic Republican primary fight. "Ryan Kelley, 40, of Allendale, Michigan, was arrested this morning on misdemeanor charges stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol breach. The gubernatorial candidate added that he "guarded a Civil War Statue in his hometown of Allendale" during protests in the summer of 2020. He was arrested in Allendale. Mr. Kelley is to make his initial appearance this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan," said Bill Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in the District of Columbia. He said he led rallies against the Covid restrictions at the state capital in Lansing and in Grand Rapids.

Michigan candidate for governor, Ryan Kelley, arrested by FBI for ... (NPR)

Ryan Kelley faces charges Thursday related to the Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021. He's one of a few remaining candidates running for governor in Michigan ...

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Michigan Governor Candidate Ryan Kelley, Who Was at the Capitol ... (The New York Times)

Mr. Kelley faces several misdemeanor charges, including disorderly conduct, in connection with the attack on the Capitol.

In June that year, he called together about 50 militiamen to square off against a few dozen Black Lives Matter protesters over a statue of a Confederate soldier in his town. All four charges are misdemeanors, according to a spokesman for the United States attorney’s office in the District of Columbia. Efforts to reach Mr. Kelley and his campaign were unsuccessful. The arrest comes ahead of the Republican primary on Aug. 2, in which Mr. Kelley is competing with four other candidates for the chance to face Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, in the general election this fall. Mr. Kelley is the first person running for election in a major state or federal race to be charged in connection with the attack. Ryan Kelley, a Republican running for governor in Michigan who was at the Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack, was arrested at his home in Allendale, Mich., on Thursday morning, according to Mara R. Schneider, a special agent with the F.B.I.

FBI arrests GOP candidate for Michigan governor, Ryan Kelley, on ... (USA TODAY)

LANSING, Mich. – The FBI raided the home of Michigan gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley on Thursday and arrested him in connection with the investigation ...

Kelley also angered residents for his defense of a controversial statue in the township’s Garden of Honor depicting a Confederate soldier as part of its Civil War memorial. His involvement in the Jan. 6 riot had prompted some Allendale residents to call for his removal during township board meetings in January 2021. Kelley himself, at around 2 p.m., “climbed onto and stood on an architectural feature next to the North West stairs and indicated by waving his hand that the crowd behind him should move towards the stairs leading into the U.C. Capitol building.” One tipster who came forward on Jan. 28, 2021, was a confidential source who had been working with the FBI since 2020 to provide information about domestic terrorism groups in Michigan – although they did not suggest that Kelley was involved in those groups. Kelley was last seen at about 3:26 p.m. in the Capitol’s northwest courtyard. Instead, they charged him with knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building illegally; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; and knowingly engaging in acts of physical violence against persons or property. Authorities did so, the statement said, because the source "had an extensive background in online research and data management.” The charges, contained in a charging document filed in federal court in Washington, do not accuse Kelley of being involving in plotting any attack that day. Some of the media shows Kelley in a crowd of people assaulting and pushing past law enforcement officers near the entrance to the scaffolding on the westside of the Capitol, according to the statement of facts. This is – this is war." This is it! LANSING, Mich. – The FBI raided the home of Michigan gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley on Thursday and arrested him in connection with the investigation of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, according to federal charging documents.

Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley charged for ... (ABC News)

Ryan Kelley, a Republican candidate in the Michigan gubernatorial primary, was arrested at his home for being involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

In February 2021, Kelley was interviewed by a local TV channel and was asked about being at the Capitol on Jan. 6. "[Their] callous disregard for the principles of democracy was on full display again today. We're going to stand and fight for America, for Donald Trump. We're not going to let the Democrats steal this election"." Kelley advanced into the scaffolding after officers were forced to retreat, the court papers state, and eventually climbed atop an architectural feature on the northwest stairs and waved toward the crowd to move in his direction. Instead, he is charged with being on restricted grounds, engaging in disorderly conduct and other misdemeanors. A law enforcement official said he was arrested at his home.