Seeing as a man who admitted to killing his wife with flower pot won his GOP primary from a prison cell in Indiana last month, it seems getting arrested isn’t quite the political career killer it once was.
That must be comforting to Michigan gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley, who was arrested on Thursday morning as the FBI raided his home.
Kelley, who blew his “groomer” hysteria dog whistle especially hard when he vowed to charge Michigan school boards with felonies if they failed to remove ‘sexually explicit content’ from classrooms, was arrested “on misdemeanor charges stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol breach,” and is to appear in federal court in Grand Rapids Thursday, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Kelley is a real estate agent and currently one of five Republican candidates for Michigan governor. He was present at the Capitol when MAGA protesters rioted and stormed the building, and has continually denied doing anything illegal.
In June 2021, the Michigan Democratic Party posted a video of Kelley outside the Capitol appearing to shout: “Come on, let’s go! This is it! This is — 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
Kelley was also heavily criticized for encouraging voters to “unplug voting machines if you see something you don’t like happening within the machine.”
Tampering with voting machines is, of course, a crime.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to the latest news:
Ryan Kelley is a certified nut job who has repeatedly stalked and harassed Gov Whitmer, including showing up at her primary residence and vacation home. Don’t know details, but I have no doubt he deserved it. https://t.co/AsEEi9F8lI
— Ron Filipkowski ?? (@RonFilipkowski) June 9, 2022
ALERT: Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley is arrested in US Capitol breach case
Kelley is accused of gesturing crowd to move forward on the grounds on Jan 6
Charging docs detail his feature role in Nov 2020 Michigan "Stop the Steal rally" pic.twitter.com/4GfXV3L0Pe
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) June 9, 2022
Not only did Ryan Kelley participate in the insurrection at the US Capitol to overturn the election, but he told election workers in Michigan to unplug voting machines from the wall if "you see something you don't like happening with the machine."
It's a good day for democracy.
— Mary ? ?? (@noncontrary) June 9, 2022
The FBI has now arrested the leading Michigan GOP candidate for Governor, Ryan Kelley, who was at the Capitol building on January 6, 2021.
Happy Thursday!
— Aaron Parnas (@AaronParnas) June 9, 2022
On Jan. 16, 2021, an anonymous tipster alerted the FBI that Ryan Kelley was at the Capitol attack – providing photos. More tips followed, including from a confidential informant who'd been working with FBI to provide info on domestic terrorism groups since 2020.
— David Eggert (@DavidEggert00) June 9, 2022
Ryan Kelley is an insurrectionist who frankly shouldn't have been allowed to run for office. Hopefully, now he will drop out https://t.co/QCQ4OCjkwi
— Olga Lautman ?? (@OlgaNYC1211) June 9, 2022
So to recap Michigan Gov:
-Two top GOP candidates were denied ballot access after each submitted thousands of forged signatures
-The candidate who led in the only poll after that, Ryan Kelley, was just arrested by the FBI (unclear for what but he was at the Capitol on Jan. 6) https://t.co/aeSZkf1tJu— Jacob Rubashkin (@JacobRubashkin) June 9, 2022
The FBI used this photo of Ryan Kelley I took during a rally in Oct. 2020 in Allendale to compare with screenshots of media coverage from Jan. 6 riots. The sunglasses in particular were helpful to match, FBI agents wrote in their statement of facts regarding Kelley pic.twitter.com/B9lyIfq24s
— Arpan Lobo (@ArpanLobo) June 9, 2022
CNY1983
just dont care how this shit looks to the rest of the world do you, you idiots?
YICK.
BaltoSteve
I’m just here for the “I feel that someone else did something wrong and didn’t punished, so he should get off” comments. I love the logic of a 5 yo.
Bengali
Sadly, this nut job wasn’t gunned down by authorities as he breached the Capitol with his intent to participate in the overthrow of the U.S. government. Hopefully he is fully convicted of treason and dealt with by a military firing squad. It’s what he and so many others in power deserve for their roles in the January 6 insurrection. No mercy for them.
stafcoyote
Hopefully, a superseding indictment, charging sedition, will be found and will issue from the Grand Jury. This cretin should hang, but sedition only carries a maximum 20 year sentence.
Kangol2
Fascist Don the Con coup participants, you reap what you sow!
They all should be convicted and jailed, including their treasonous, psychopathic cult leader, Don the Con, who according to forthcoming testimony apparently approved of the coup participants’ deranged calls to hang Don the Con’s own Vice President, Mike Pence!
Lock them up, lock him up!
Mack
“getting arrested isn’t quite the political career killer it once was.”, for Republicans they don’t care, they love criminals-that’s why they supported Trump.