U.S. Olympic swimmer Klete Keller was charged Wednesday in connection with last week’s deadly Capitol revolt, according to court records.
A criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington, DC, showed that Keller was charged with obstructing law enforcement, entering or remaining in a building or restricted land without lawful authority and entry. violent and disorderly conduct on the grounds of the Capitol.
Videos appear to show the Olympic gold medalist at the Capitol Roundabout on Jan. 6 wearing a U.S. Olympic team jacket. While protesters clashed with police, law enforcement officers can be seen trying to do so several times push back the crowd which included a man who appears to be Keller. SwimSwam, a news website covering competitive swimming, first identified Keller as possibly one of the members of a crowd supporting Trump who attacked the Capitol. The New York Times also spoke to former teammates and unnamed coaches who said he was part of the crowd.
Federal agents confirmed it was Keller in the videos, in part by matching the photo of the Colorado driver’s license with the person seen in the images, according to the criminal complaint signed by FBI Special Agent Matthew R. Barofsky. Keller, who is 6 feet 6 inches tall, also stood out because she is one of the tallest people in the videos, the complaint noted.
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Keller was part of the U.S. swimming team at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics. Along with Michael Phelps, he was part of the relay team that won the gold medal in the 4X200m freestyle on 2004 and 2008. The team also set a new world record in the same event at the FINA World Swimming Championships in Melbourne in 2007. Before law enforcement identified Keller as a participant in the riot, the Committee U.S. Olympic and Paralympics on Tuesday released a statement to CBS News condemning last week’s actions.
“We support the right to protest peacefully and to express values and views in a respectful and lawful manner; that is what makes our democracy strong. Unfortunately, that is not what happened in this case,” the committee said. .
Keller has also resigned from real estate company Hoff & Leigh in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he had been working as an independent contractor, according to a company statement.
“Hoff & Leigh supports the right to freedom of expression and lawful protest, but we cannot tolerate actions that violate the rule of law,” the company said.
The riot killed five people, including a Capitol police officer. House Democrats accused President Trump of inciting the assault on the Capitol and voted Wednesday to charge him for the second time. Ten House Republicans also voted in favor of the removal.