Michigan GOP candidate Kelley charged for Capitol riot role
DETROIT (AP) — Ryan Kelley, one of five Republican candidates for Michigan governor, has been charged with misdemeanors for his role in the 2021 postelection riot at the U.S. Capitol. The ardent defender of former President Donald Trump was arrested in western Michigan on Thursday and awaits a court hearing in Grand Rapids.
Kelley’s campaign has not commented. Kelley’s participation in the Jan. 6 insurrection has been widely known.
In a court document, investigators filed photos of him in a baseball cap worn backward, trying to rally the pro-Trump crowd. Kelley is one of five candidates on the Aug. 2 Republican primary ballot.
The winner will face Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.