President Joe Biden joked about throwing political opponents in jail during a visit to the Jimmy Kimmel show. A GOP candidate was arrested by the FBI the following morning. It’s unclear if there is a connection or if this is simply odd timing.
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A prominent Republican candidate for governor of Michigan was arrested by the FBI and charged with felonies of disorderly conduct, willful injury and others in connection with his role in the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, the agency said.
On Thursday morning, a raid was conducted by federal agents at Ryan Kelley’s home in Allendale, Michigan.
A search warrant was later confirmed by an FBI spokesperson to have been executed at the home where Kelley, 40, was arrested. He is facing four counts related to his alleged actions on Capitol Hill, which include disorderly conduct and willful injury or assault on U.S. property, according to the criminal complaint. He was released after his arraignment without having to post bond pending his court hearing in Grand Rapids.
The FBI confirmed that they have received various tips about Kelley’s involvement on Capitol Hill on January 6, and a source within the bureau has also identified him as one of the people seen during the siege, per report.
Kelley has admitted to being in D.C. in the past for the protests that preceded the bloody riot involving supporters of then-President Donald Trump. But he firmly denied that he ever tried entering the Capitol.
Two people including a local sheriff’s deputy and an Allendale official, both of whom were familiar with Kelley, identified him in photos taken during the riot, the FBI said.
In a statement released Thursday by Justice Department officials, a special agent of the FBI has included and described many proofs such as the video footage and other images that indicate Kelley was actually involved in the Capitol Hill break-in and even ordered others to participate.
“At approximately 2:20 p.m., Kelley continued to gesture to the crowd, constantly indicating that they were to move toward the stairs that led to the entrance to the interior spaces of the U.S. Capitol,” the agent states.
The arrest of Ryan Kelley occurs just as the House committee investigating the deadly riot on Jan. 6 is gearing up for its first public hearing on Thursday night. And this follows the disqualification of up to two other leading GOP gubernatorial candidates in Michigan, including the front-runner James Craig, after they were found to have submitted allegedly fraudulent signatures in order to qualify for the primary in August.
Thursday afternoon, a post was published on Ryan Kelley’s campaign Facebook page with just the words, “Political Prisoner.”
Biden was slammed for his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel for other reasons, too.
Biden’s recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel falls in line with many presidents who visit late night shows. However, Biden faces even more scrutiny than most because of the skyrocketing inflation, surging gas prices, and many other problems that the White House has struggled to get a grip on.
Biden claimed, during his appearance with Jimmy Kimmel, that gas prices were off the charts because of the oil companies, but his comments were countered by commentary from Brian Brenberg, a Fox News contributor and economics professor at The King’s College.
Biden told Kimmel: “Oil companies, instead of everybody, says, ‘Well, Biden won’t let them drill.’ They have 9,000 drilling sites that they already own that are there. They’re not doing it… You know why? Because they make more money not drilling and buying back their own stock.”
Brenberg said about that, while on “Varney & Co.: “Nobody’s listening to him at all on this because it’s so obvious… All these same oil companies who apparently can’t get it together now, boy, they could get it together under President Trump, couldn’t they… Because we had oil and gas flowing everywhere [under Trump]. But Biden – it’s not him! It’s not him! It must be the oil companies and their greed, which they just discovered now.”
As of now, Fox News reports that at least 20 states, including the District of Columbia, have now hit a minimum price of $5 per gallon of gas price on average, according to AAA.