DETROIT, Mich. (WXYZ) — Ryan Kelley, a Republican candidate for Michigan governor, was arrested by the FBI at his home Thursday morning in connection to the riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
The FBI also conducted a search warrant at the home, an FBI spokesperson confirmed told Scripps station WXYZ.
Kelley was in D.C. during the riots at the U.S. Capitol last year. He told MLive he did not go through barricades and left when things started getting crazy.
However, in a statement of facts, dozens of photos show a man, who investigators claim is Kelley, at the Capitol. The man is near a group that assaulted and pushed past law enforcement officers. Investigators claim Kelley was taking a video in the crowd.
Investigators also allege that Kelley climbed onto an architectural feature and "used his hands to pull a covering off of a temporary structure that U.S. Capitol personnel had erected in support of a future planned event."
Kelley is a real estate broker who gained prominence in Republican circles during the COVID-19 pandemic for organizing a protest at the Michigan Capitol over the lockdowns. He also recently skipped a Republican debate at the Mackinac Policy Conference over vaccine and testing requirements.
Kelley is one of five Republicans left in the field after five other candidates were left off the August primary ballot due to invalid signatures.
This story was originally reported on wxyz.com.
