Ryan Kelley, a close ally of former President and 2024 Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump, has been sentenced in connection with his involvement in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. According to a CBS News report on October 18, Kelley received a 60-day prison sentence for his actions during the infamous event.
Kelley’s legal troubles began when he was arrested during the Michigan gubernatorial primary last year. In July, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of entering and remaining on restricted grounds at the U.S. Capitol. In his admission, he confessed to rushing past U.S. Capitol police officers and assisting another rioter in pulling a metal bike rack onto the scaffolding. Prosecutors also accused him of tearing a tarp on the inauguration stage during the chaos of that day.
The sentencing of Ryan Kelley was overseen by U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper, who expressed concerns about Kelley’s level of remorse. Judge Cooper pointed to fundraising appeals made by Kelley two years after the riot, during which he referred to January 6 as a “false flag event” and made claims about the 2020 election being stolen. The judge criticized Kelley for misusing his platform as a candidate for elected office to downplay and distort the events of that fateful day.
During the hearing, prosecutors sought a three-month prison sentence, arguing that Kelley had actively encouraged, facilitated, and celebrated violence at the Capitol. They cited his actions, including shouting into the already agitated crowd, beckoning rioters forward, and taking a photograph of human blood near the stairs, to underscore the seriousness of his involvement in the events of January 6.
In his defense, Ryan Kelley expressed regret for his actions, stating, “I apologize for those things.” His lawyer also asserted that Kelley was distancing himself from politics, marking a significant departure from his earlier aspirations for elected office.
Kelley mentioned that he did not hold former President Donald Trump responsible for his actions on January 6. He explained that he had come to Washington because Trump had promised to reveal evidence of election fraud, which ultimately never materialized. Kelley stated, “I was misled into believing those things. To this day, those receipts never showed up.” He emphasized that while Trump had invited them to Washington, he took responsibility for his own actions that day.
The sentencing of Ryan Kelley highlights the legal consequences faced by individuals involved in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and raises questions about the role of political rhetoric and misinformation in influencing such events.
