Michigan GOP Candidate for Governor Arrested by FBI for January 6th Attack

The FBI arrested Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley on Thursday for involvement in the January 6th attack.

Kelley was charged with misdemeanors for his role in the attempted coup that took place at the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overthrow the election and install Donald Trump as president.

According to the criminal complaint, Kelley is charged with “entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, disorderly and disruptive conduct, knowingly engaging in an act of physical violence against a person or property, and willfully injuring property.”

Here’s a video shared on Twitter and highlighted by the Michigan Democratic Party in which a man identified by both parties as Ryan Kelley is heard saying, “This is War, Baby!”

Ryan Kelley:

“Come on, let’s go! This is it! This is, this is war baby!”@kelleyforgov pic.twitter.com/IrNc3Rv10M

— Michigan Tea (@MichiganTea) June 28, 2021

Federal agents used a search warrant to enter his home, according to the Detroit News. They cite in an affidavit related to the complaint that 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.”

Ryan Kelley affidavit:

Kelley, Ryan – Statement of… by Taylor DesOrmeau

Kelley also urged others to join the attack: “‘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”.

“Federal agents raided Ryan Kelley’s home in Allendale, Michigan, on Thursday morning,” NBC News reported, having received a tip about the arrest. They report he faces four charges, “including disorderly conduct and willfully injuring or attacking U.S. property, according to the criminal complaint.”

Kelley is one of five Republicans running, after five other Republicans were disqualified for… fraud, including former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, who was seen as the party’s front-runner.

The extremists in the Republican Party are up to their ears in election fraud of every kind, including inciting and potentially even directing the terrorist attack of January 6th, so it’s not a surprise that one of the Party’s candidates for governor is alleged to have been in on the attempt to overthrow a lawful election.

Republicans are trying to muddy the waters with false accusations that it was Speaker Pelosi’s fault that the National Guard didn’t show up to help the U.S. Capitol Police, several of whom later died. But in fact the President has authority over the National Guard and the Speaker couldn’t override that authority even if she wanted to, but of course Speaker Pelosi was at risk from the mob and had no reason to do nothing, unlike Trump. After all, Republican Representative Lauren Boebert was tweeting the Speaker’s location to the terrorists.

January 6th was more than a “riot” – it was an attempted coup and an act of domestic terrorism, the goal of which to stop Congress’s Constitutional mandate to validate the presidential election. Multiple people died and over 140 members of law enforcement were injured.

The U.S. House 1/6 Committee has spent almost a year investigating the attack and live testimony will be aired Thursday evening. The witnesses expected this evening are U.S. Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards and Proud Boy (identified on Wikipedia as “American far-right, neo-fascist, and exclusively male organization that promotes and engages in political violence”) documentarian Nick Quested.

Ms. Jones is the co-founder/ editor-in-chief of PoliticusUSA and a member of the White House press pool.

Sarah hosts Politicus News and co-hosts Politicus Radio. Her analysis has been featured on several national radio, television news programs and talk shows, and print outlets including Stateside with David Shuster, as well as The Washington Post, The Atlantic Wire, CNN, MSNBC, The Week, The Hollywood Reporter, and more.

Sarah is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.