July 27 (UPI) — Former Republican Michigan gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley pleaded guilty Thursday to charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riots that lead to the breach of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
Before participating in the riots, Kelley was involved with the “Stop the Steal” movement, which made the false claim that President Joe Biden’s election was illegitimate.
Prosecutors say Kelley made statements denying the outcome of the election at a rally in Allendale, Mich., in November 2020.
“COVID-19 was made so that they can use the propaganda to control your minds so that you think, if you watch the media, that Joe Biden won this election. We’re not going to buy it,” Kelley said, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors say Kelley directed rioters during the storming of the Capitol Building but remained outside.
Kelley’s participation in the riots became an issue during the primary campaign.
“We were there protesting the government because we don’t like the results of the 2020 election, the process of how it happened, and we have the First Amendment right,” Kelley said during a 2022 primary debate.
Kelley was leading in the Republican primary polls when he was arrested in June 2022 after authorities received tips that he had been present during the 2021 riots.
Ultimately, Kelley placed fourth in the primary, garnering 165,000 votes, while Tudor Dixon went on to lose the general election to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Last June, a Michigan resident filed a lawsuit to the Michigan Court of Appeals, asking it to invalidate Kelley’s candidacy because he had “engaged in insurrection.”
Kelley is scheduled to be sentenced October 17.
