Ryan Kelley, the leading Republican candidate in Michigan’s gubernatorial election, was arrested by the FBI on Thursday and charged with several misdemeanors over his alleged participation in the pro-Trump protest on Capitol Hill last January. Kelley’s arrest, which came hours before Democrats kicked off a Congressional hearing into the protest, has been condemned by conservatives.
Kelley was taken into custody at his home in Allendale, Michigan, on Thursday morning. He has been charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct, physical violence, and destruction of US property during a pro-Trump protest on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021.
According to a statement by the FBI, Kelley was identified among the crowd of Trump supporters by an informant, and was seen in a group that was “assaulting and pushing past law enforcement officers.” He is not directly accused of assaulting anybody, but of climbing “on an architectural feature” and “using his hands to support another rioter who is pulling the metal barricade.”