Candace Owens presented a check for more than $200,000 to Lt. William Kelly, who was fired by the Norfolk (VA) Police Department in April for anonymously sending a message of encouragement and $25 to a fund for Kyle Rittenhouse.
Owens launched a fundraiser for the fired official on Sunday, informing her massive following that Kelly has been living off his savings and his wife’s teacher salary since he was forced out of his livelihood. Her goal was $100,000, but that was swiftly surpassed by generous supporters in a matter of hours.
Appearing on “Candace,” Owens gave a check for $202,000 to Kelly from the fundraiser she launched — but more money is coming for Kelly and his family. The check had to be printed earlier for the show, Owens told her studio audience, but supporters’ generosity has continued to carry. In total, more than $245,000 has been raised in the fundraiser spearheaded by Owens, and all the money will go to Kelly.
“I don’t care how you spend it … but I do hope you sue the city,” Owens joked.
Kelly was fired in April after The Guardian leaked the names of police officers and public officials who donated to a defense fund for Rittenhouse, The Blaze reported. Kelly reportedly donated $25, using his department-issued email address when making the donation anonymously.
“God bless,” he wrote to accompany his donation. “Thank you for your courage. Keep your head up. You’ve done nothing wrong. Every rank and file police officer supports you. Don’t be discouraged by actions of the political class of law enforcement leadership.”
Before Owens presented the check, Kelly detailed what happened back in April.
“I’m getting ready for work one day, and a fellow police officer called my cell phone and said they started getting phone calls from different people who were critical of my decision to donate, and he just wanted to give me a heads up,” Kelly told Owens, recalling how he found out his donation was made public by The Guardian.
Kelly then called his boss, who told the officer he didn’t think the donation was a “big deal.” “But as the day progressed,” Kelly revealed, “it became clear that they were starting to feel the pressure from … social media, emails, and the phone calls.”
“It was an emotionally-driven day,” Kelly said, noting he received “death threats.”
Kelly was swiftly fired and said he was barred from speaking to higher-ups involved in the decision.
Closing the segment, Owens asked Kelly about general police morale when movements like Black Lives Matter have become increasingly prominent, while demanding “social justice” at times when it’s inconsistent with blind justice.
“Police officers like the rule of law; the law is black and white; we apply the law equally in every situation, regardless who’s involved,” Kelly said. “And when we’re told to stand down, it’s confusing and it brings morale down.”
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Related: Fundraiser Explodes As Candace Owens Steps In To Help Officer Fired For Donating $25 To Rittenhouse