The FBI raided the home of Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley Thursday morning and reportedly took him into custody.
Video reviewed by news outlet Bridge Michigan showed a man resembling Kelley being taken into a gray SUV, according to a report.
“Chris Kelley, a relative and campaign treasurer for the Kelley campaign, said he was ‘aware’ of the Thursday morning law enforcement raid but declined further comment,” Bridge News reported.
Reporter David Eggert of Crain’s Detroit Business also reported that Kelley had been arrested at his home.
BREAKING: The FBI has arrested Republican candidate for governor Ryan Kelley at his home and taken him into custody.
— David Eggert (@DavidEggert00) June 9, 2022
Bridge News reporter Jonathan Oosting provided an update to the reported raid and arrest, writing, “Ryan Kelley is facing multiple charges related to January 6, 2021. He has admitted he was at the riots but claims he did not go inside the U.S. Capitol.”
New: Ryan Kelley is facing multiple charges related to January 6, 2021. He has admitted he was at the riots but claims he did not go inside the U.S. Capitol. https://t.co/e4Hh56jQwK
— Jonathan Oosting (@jonathanoosting) June 9, 2022
Kelley is one of the five GOP candidates who qualified for the August primary ballot. The real estate agent has organized protests against Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s strict COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, and he was present at the January 6 Capitol riot.
During the events of January 6, 2021, video footage allegedly showed Kelley encouraging protesters as they entered the Capitol building, according to Bridge News. The video footage also reportedly showed the Republican candidate climbing on scaffolding outside the building as groups of rioters breached the Capitol. Kelley has denied ever entering the building.
A spokesperson for Kelley told The Daily Wire she had no further information.
Another Republican candidate for governor, businessman Kevin Rinke, told The Daily Wire that he respects Kelley and he’s praying for him and his family as he waits for more information to come out from the FBI’s raid.
The reported FBI raid on Kelley’s home throws more chaos into the Michigan Republican primary. Last week, the last hopes for three Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidates to get on the ballot for the August primary were slashed by the Michigan Supreme Court.
In three separate 6-1 rulings, the state’s highest court upheld the recommendations of the Michigan Bureau of Elections to keep former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, businessman Perry Johnson, and financial adviser Michael Markey off the ballot for the Republican primary, the Detroit News reported.
Without the Party’s most well-known candidate in Craig and best-funded candidate in Johnson, Republicans must decide between five remaining gubernatorial hopefuls.
The five candidates who are set to appear on the ballot for the August 2 primary are political commentator Tudor Dixon, chiropractor Garrett Soldano, Pastor Ralph Rebandt, businessman Kevin Rinke, and real estate broker Ryan Kelley.
This story has been updated with additional information.