'A lot of folks followed you': Failed GOP candidate who rioted on Jan. 6 sentenced to prison

A losing 2022 GOP gubernatorial candidate in Michigan was sentenced Tuesday to 60 days in prison and hit with a $5,000 fine over his involvement in January 6, The Associated Press (AP) reports.

"I think you misused the platform that you had as a candidate for elected office to minimize, and frankly, to lie about what happened,” United States District Judge Christopher R. Cooper told Ryan Kelley, which NBC News reports is a reference to " "'fundraising appeals' he "made years after the riot where he referred to the 2020 election as stolen and called the Jan. 6 riot an 'FBI set-up.''

Per AP, the failed Republican candidate "spoke at a 'Stop the Steal' rally at the state Capitol in Lansing in November 2020, shortly after the presidential election. Kelley urged others at the rally to 'stand and fight, with the goal of preventing Democrats from stealing the election,' the FBI said."

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Kelley later referred to Jan. 6 as a "'false flag' event," according to NBC, telling Cooper he was "misled into believing" ex-President Donald Trump's promise to reveal "receipts" backing his claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

"To this day, those receipts never showed up," Kelley said.

"He shouted into the already riled up crowd; he consistently beckoned the crowd of rioters forward, closer towards the Capitol Building and police; he supported another rioter as he was moving a metal bike rack towards the front of the mob on the Northwest stairs, towards those rioters who were closer to officers; and he took a photograph of human blood by the stairs," prosecutors in the case wrote, NBC reports.

However, AP notes Kelley "doesn’t blame Trump for his conduct on Jan. 6," saying, "He did invite us there, but my actions were my actions."

AP reports ahead of sentencing the failed GOP candidate, Cooper said, "A lot of folks voted for you. A lot of folks followed you."

READ MORE: Trump channels Nixon with 'presidential immunity' defense in January 6 case

The Associated Press' full report is available at this link. NBC's report is here.