Ryan Kelley, ex-Michigan governor hopeful, gets prison time for Jan. 6 riot

• Ryan Kelley, a former candidate for Michigan governor, was sentenced to 60 days for role in Jan. 6 Capitol riot
• Kelley apologized but defended former President Donald Trump, whose election loss he was trying to overturn
• Videos showed Kelley ripping a tarp covering, helping to move a bike rack

LANSING – Former Michigan gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley is headed to prison for up to two months for his role in a U.S. Capitol riot that sought to block certification of then-President Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 election. 

A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced Kelley to 60 days behind bars, one year of probation and a $1,000 fine after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor crime for his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, according to The Associated Press.

Kelley, who was among more than 11,000 people charged in connection with the Jan. 6 riot, reportedly apologized during a sentencing hearing in Washington but U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper said he had "serious concerns" about whether Kelley was "truly remorseful.”

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The Republican activist had sought to avoid jail time. His attorney, Gary Springstead, last week called for a sentence limited to probation because Kelley had stayed outside the Capitol as Congress met to certify President Joe Biden’s election and did not "engage in or threaten to engage in any violence."

But federal prosecutors pushed for even more jail time for Kelley — three months, in part because he has "failed to express sincere remorse.”

In a court filing last week, prosecutors pointed to multiple statements Kelley has made on social media "making light of the riot, falsely denying that any violence took place, and insisting that he engaged in no wrongdoing.” 

In one Facebook post, from December 2022, Kelley claimed the January 6 riots were an FBI "set up." And earlier this month, a statement on his personal website claimed the federal government was "coming after me and many others for peacefully protecting our government." 

Videos produced as part of the case showed Kelley outside the Capitol waving others toward the building. He helped another rioter who was moving a metal bike rack toward police and personally ripped through a protective tarp covering outdoor scaffolding, among other things. 

Kelley, a 42-year-old real estate broker from Allendale, filed paperwork to run for Michigan governor less than a month after participating in the riot. He was arrested in June of 2022 but continued to campaign while awaiting trial and ultimately finished fourth in the Aug. 2 Republican primary with 165,587 votes. 

Prosecutors initially charged Kelley with four crimes but dropped three charges when he agreed to plead guilty to a single count of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds in violation of federal law. 

In pushing for leniency before the sentencing, Kelley’s attorney argued that Kelley had "accepted responsibility for his actions" by pleading guilty to the misdemeanor charge and "has also taken it upon himself to explain his wrongdoings and the potential consequences to his family.”

"Mr. Kelley understands and appreciates that he never should have participated in the protests that turned into a riot that day and that such violence has no place in our democracy,” Springstead, his lawyer, wrote in last week’s filing.