Ryan Kelley, a Republican candidate for Michigan governor, was arrested by the FBI at his Allendale home Thursday morning for his involvement in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
According to a criminal complaint, Kelley was arrested on four misdemeanor charges: knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building, disorderly and disruptive conduct, knowingly engaging in any act of physical violence against person or property in a restricted building or grounds, and willfully injuring or committing depredation against property of the United States. Kelley is scheduled to appear later today at the Western Michigan U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids.
The FBI Statement of Facts on Kelley’s case reveals that the agency received dozens of anonymous tips regarding Kelley’s presence at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
“Based on the tips and information that had been provided, law enforcement took additional steps to review available media in which the individual alleged to be KELLEY appeared, in order to assemble a more complete record of that individual’s actions on January 6, 2021,” the Statement of Facts reads.
The document contains dozens of photos and screenshots of videos from Jan. 6, many pulled from news media footage, and describes how the images depict Kelley’s movements throughout the day.
Though over 800 people have been charged for involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection, Kelley is the first candidate for a major state or federal election to be arrested in connection with the insurrection.
This arrest comes hours ahead of the first hearing for the House Select Committee on Jan. 6, where a group of representatives will hear testimony from witnesses and discuss the findings of the committee’s year-long investigation into the attacks on the Capitol.
Kelley previously worked as a planning commissioner for Allendale Charter Township, a position that he no longer holds, according to the commission’s website. He faced calls for removal from Allendale residents after his involvement in the insurrection was revealed in surfaced photos and videos. In April 2020, Kelley led an armed protest at the Michigan Capitol to protest Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kelley currently remains on the ballot for the Michigan Republican Party’s gubernatorial primary election on Aug. 2. He is one of five GOP candidates running against Whitmer, down from an original field of 13 candidates after several Republicans were disqualified for submitting fraudulent nominating petitions with forged signatures.
Summer News Editor Irena Li can be reached at irenayli@umich.edu.