Progress Michigan has filed a lawsuit with the goal of preventing Republican candidate for governor Ryan Kelley from appearing on the general election ballot.
Kelley pleaded not guilty last week to federal charges connected to his alleged role in the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
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Kelley has said that he and others present at the deadly riot were exercising their “First Amendment right” to protest the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Former President Donald Trump and his supporters have falsely claimed that the 2020 election was “stolen.” There has been no evidence of widespread fraud.
According to FBI documents, video shows Kelley on the Capitol steps, climbing the structure and entering the Capitol’s North West Courtyard. Kelley was also said to be “using his hands to support another rioter who is pulling the metal barricade.”
Read more: Michigan GOP gov. candidate Ryan Kelley pleads not guilty to federal Jan. 6 charges
The plaintiff in the lawsuit, filed by Progress Michigan, is Lee Estes. They are a registered voter, who, according to the lawsuit, is seeking to ensure that only eligible candidates are listed on the general election ballot.
“This is an action to prevent Ryan Kelley from appearing on the November 8, 2022 general election ballot as a candidate for Governor because he has ‘engaged in insurrection’ in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment and therefore is ineligible to serve as a candidate for Governor for the State of Michigan. He is a clear and present danger to democracy in Michigan,” the lawsuit states.
Kelley or a spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.
Watch full replay: Republican candidates for Michigan governor debate in Grand Rapids