Former GOP gov candidate Ryan Kelley mulling both plea deals and new election campaigns

Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read
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Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley is considering both possible plea deals and campaigns for other elected offices, his lawyers told a federal judge Tuesday in seeking a delay in court proceedings related to his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Ryan Kelley
Ryan Kelley

Kelley was arrested June 9 during an FBI raid on his Ottawa County home and for a time was shown by polling to be the leader in the GOP primary race for governor before finishing fourth out of five candidates. He is charged with entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, disorderly and disruptive conduct, knowingly engaging in an act of physical violence against a person or property, and willfully injuring property.

Generally, all of those misdemeanors carry penalties of up to one year in prison and fines of up to $100,000 on each charge.

Kelley had a status conference scheduled for Wednesday in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, but federal prosecutors did not object Tuesday to his attorneys' request for a 60-day delay, and rescheduled the hearing to Dec. 8.

More:Michigan governor candidate Ryan Kelley pleads not guilty to Jan. 6 charges

More:Meet Ryan Kelley, the Republican candidate for governor who got a boost from FBI arrest

Kelley needs the extra time "to allow sufficient time to receive and review discovery and explore any potential plea offers," said his Grand Rapids attorney, Nicole Springstead Stolte.

Another Kelley attorney, Gary Springstead, officially notified the judge that Kelley's campaign for governor, which impacted his travel restrictions while free on bond, is now over.

"Defense counsel would, however, note that Mr. Kelley is still actively involved in political issues throughout the state of Michigan, and is contemplating whether he will run for a different state or federal position."

Springstead did not specify what those offices might be. A run for the U.S. Senate and a campaign for chair of the Michigan Republican Party are among the offices Kelley has discussed.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ryan Kelley considering other offices after failed bid for governor