Former Michigan GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Sentenced For Jan. 6 Attack
Ryan Kelley, a former Republican front-runner during the 2022 Michigan governor’s race, was sentenced Tuesday to 60 days in prison for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Kelley pleaded guilty in July to a federal misdemeanor of entering and remaining on restricted grounds ― down from the four misdemeanor charges he faced upon his arrest a month prior.
Prosecutors had pushed U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper to issue a three-month sentence, noting Kelley’s distinct lack of remorse for his actions, including publishing statements on social media making light of the day.
Ryan Kelley, a Republican candidate for Michigan governor, was filmed shouting, "This is war, baby!” at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Photos of Kelley at the Capitol during the violent attack show him in sunglasses and a backwards hat appearing to wave rioters toward the building and, the FBI says, supporting another rioter who was pulling down a metal barricade.
Video from the scene shows Kelley shouting, “Come on, let’s go! This is it! This is ― this is war, baby!”
Kelley’s gubernatorial bid benefited from a turbulent Michigan primary in which half of the Republican candidates failed to make the ballot after submitting nominating petitions full of invalid signatures.
After a brief campaign surge, however, Kelley finished fourth in the GOP primary. The victor, conservative commentator Tudor Dixon, lost to incumbent Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
