After being arrested last month for participating mobs attacked the Capitol on January 6, Ryan Kelley bragging that the bust only enhanced his chances of winning the Republican primaries for governor of Michigan.
“If they didn’t know me before, they know me now,” he said repeatedly.
But on Tuesday, Kelley received personal evidence that not everyone is ready to give up an attack on our democracy. It started when he logged into the Airbnb app on his phone.
“Hi Ryan,
My name is Cedar and I’m on the Airbnb Trust Group.
After a periodic review, we have determined that your account should be removed from the Airbnb platform. Deletion means that your account will no longer be accessible and you will not be able to create a new one.
The message asks him to check his email for more details.
“I went into my email to review and got an email from Airbnb stating that my account has been permanently disabled for attending the January 6 DC rally,” he told The Daily Beast in his next email.
When he learned about the ban, he sought to play the victim and turn it to his political advantage, just like when he was arrested. And he needs that extra boost, having risen to first in a six-candidate field shortly after the bankruptcy, but recently slipped to second or third.
“If you want to know who’s going to fight for us the hardest, look at who they’re trying to silence the most,” he said in a Facebook post. “The awakening corporations and the awakening government are about to destroy anyone who goes against their radical agenda. I will not be intimidated by leftists! “
He tried to bolster his case for unfair treatment by posting an Airbnb review from a property owner named Brandy.
“Ryan is an ideal guest! Great communication, rules are respected and the space is in good condition. Will definitely host him again. “
That’s not what Capitol Police would say about the January 6 crowd. And Airbnb responded to that outrage as if the people’s home was its biggest listing. The result was the “Capitol Safety Plan,” which the company announced on Jan. 11. Part of it was titled “Prohibit individuals identified as being involved in criminal activity on the Capitol.” .”
“As we learned through media or law enforcement sources the names of individuals identified as responsible for violent criminal activity on the United States Capitol on January 6, We will investigate whether the individuals named have accounts on Airbnb,” it said. “This includes cross-referencing the January 6 arrest logs of the DC Metro Police. If individuals have Airbnb accounts, we will take action, including banning them from using Airbnb.”
An Airbnb spokesperson noted this week, “We have been very public about our approach to individuals involved in the Capitol uprising. Specifically, we’ve shared that when we learn of individuals charged with federal charges in connection with riots, we’ll remove them from Airbnb if we find out they have an account. We have adopted this approach consistently and transparently.”
Kelley escaped being banned because he was not among those arrested shortly after the attack. But the Airbnb policy remained in effect for months afterward, as the FBI slowly built a case that began with the tip 10 days after the attack.
“On January 16, 2021, an anonymous tip from Michigan submitted an online tip to the FBI National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) via tips.fbi.gov, which determined that Ryan Kelley participated in the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021,” the criminal complaint further reads. “The tipper provided photos of what they believe to be Ryan D. Kelley (KELLEY) at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Information provided by the tip shows KELLEY at the US Capitol. wears a black jacket, an inverted black cap with a rectangular United States Flag Emblem above the bill and aviator glasses. “
The FBI agents confirmed to their satisfaction that the man was indeed Kelley. The complaint says the video shows a similar image “in a crowd assaulting and shoving law enforcement officers in the past”. The figure suddenly stopped, crouched, raised the mobile phone.
“At approximately 2:25 p.m., a person wearing a black hat used his cell phone to photograph blood stains on an architectural feature on the U.S. Capitol,” the lawsuit alleges.
Various photos and videos released by federal prosecutors show the character gesturing — sometimes with one hand, at other times with both — for the crowd to follow him into the Capitol.
“Come on, let’s go! This is it! This is war baby! ‘ he was recorded screaming.
But he doesn’t seem to actually step in.
“I didn’t go inside the Capitol or any of the buildings,” Kelley later told a Michigan radio station.
If that is the case, Kelley displayed a form of cowardice no less than that displayed that day by Senator Missouri. Josh Hawley, who stirred up the crowd by raising his fist while safely behind a police barricade and then being videotaped inside the Capitol fleeing very similar people. Kelley motioned for the rebels to follow him and then appeared to back away as they continued inside.
USA-POLITICS / MICHIGAN
Ryan Kelley, Michigan gubernatorial candidate, speaks to supporters of former President Donald Trump demanding a forensic examination of the 2020 presidential election in front of the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan, U.S. , February 8, 2022.
Emily Elconin / Reuters
If Kelley had joined them, some of his own blood might have been spilled. He could also face charges instead of just four misdemeanors when he is finally arrested.
When appearing before the judge this month, Kelley pleaded not guilty. He faces up to a year behind bars if convicted, but it is likely he could split the political push into four years as governor. He appeared unhappy when the judge denied his lawyer’s request that he was “allowed to carry a gun in self-defense during the campaign”.
Kelley gave up any guns he had, but managed to be a Second Amendment shot by posting on Facebook a photo of him with the pistol on his hip in October, which represented as a co-founder of the American Patriotic Council at a Stop the Steal rally. Another photo shows him surrounded by military vehicles armed with AR-15 type rifles. Another photo is of an assault weapon emblazoned with a small American flag, lying on a shooting range counter along with two magazines bearing Ryan Kelley for Governor sticker.
If Kelley actually stormed inside the Capitol instead of just urging others to do so while he took a picture of blood on white marble, he risks facing charges. And a felony conviction means he can’t legally own a gun anymore.
True, Kelley can expect to be able to strap the pistol to her hip again, however this is still the case. The primaries could also be determined by who, if anyone, Trump endorsed. Trump has yet to endorse Kelley, although the 40-year-old real estate agent is passionate about saying that January 6 is the day that America is at its best, not its worst.
“President Trump had a rally that day and he called on Americans to go there and support him, to shed light on the fraud that happened in our election. And there were a lot of American flags there that day and a lot of people singing the national anthem. So that day we were there to celebrate America. It will be remembered for a very long time, I will say as much. “
He’ll get proof of that whenever he tries to open a new Airbnb account, whether he’s governor, a convicted felon, or both or not.
