The FBI arrested Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley on Thursday in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
Kelley previously acknowledged that he was at the rally that preceded the attack on the Capitol but said he did not enter the building.
According to court documents, Kelley was a member of the crowd that was pushing past and attacking police outside the Capitol, he also directed others to participate.
“At approximately 2:20 p.m., Kelley continued to gesture to the crowd, consistently indicating that they should move towards the stairs that led to the entrance of the U.S. Capitol interior spaces,” documents say.
He is charged with knowingly entering a restricted area without lawful authority, disorderly conduct, knowingly engaging in physical violence in a restricted area and willfully injuring or committing depredation against federal government property.
Kelley is one of five GOP candidates vying for the party nomination to challenge Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) this November. The field was cut in half after five candidates were banned from the ballot after they turned in fraudulent signatures to qualify for the August primary.
Kelley’s arrest also comes as the House committee investigating the Capitol riot is set to begin public hearings on Thursday.
