Former Olympian charged with taking part in riot
He allegedly was among mob at Capitol on Jan. 6
Five-time Olympic swimming medalist Klete Keller was charged Wednesday with participating in a deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol after video emerged that appeared to show him among those storming the building last week.
An FBI complaint, citing screenshots from the video, asked that a warrant be issued charging Keller with knowingly entering a restricted building to impede an official government function, disorderly conduct and obstructing law officers during the frightening ordeal.
It wasn’t clear if he had been taken into custody.
Thousands of supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol during a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6 while lawmakers met to formalize the victory of President-elect Joe Biden.
The 38-year-old Keller competed in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics. He captured two golds and a silver as a member of the 800-meter freestyle relay, as well as a pair of individual bronzes in the 400 free.
Messages seeking comment left with Keller and his sister, former Olympic swimmer Kalyn Keller, were not immediately returned.
“We respect private individuals’ and groups’ rights to peacefully protest but in no way condone the actions taken by those at the Capitol last week,” USA Swimming said in a statement, noting that Keller has not been a member of the organization since he retired after the 2008 Beijing Games.
Keller’s alleged participation in the Capitol protest was first reported this week by SwimSwam, a site dedicated to covering competitive swimming and other aquatic sports.
It pointed to video posted to social media by Townhall reporter Julio Rosas, which showed a tall man wearing a U.S. Olympic Team jacket among the rioters as officers attempted to clear the Rotunda.
SwimSwam said at least a dozen people within the sport have identified the man as Keller after reviewing the video and screenshots.
The FBI affidavit specifically cited screenshots that shows the person identified as Keller wearing a U.S. Olympic team jacket.
It also pointed out that the former swimmer is listed as 6-foot-6 and the person in the video “appears to be one of the tallest individuals in the video depicting individuals in the Rotunda.”
Keller trained for several years under coach Bob Bowman, who is best known as the longtime coach and mentor of Michael Phelps, winner of the most gold medals in Olympic history.
In a statement issued before Keller was charged, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee denounced the melee that left five people dead but did not mention him specifically.
Keller has deleted his social media accounts, which reportedly showed he was an outspoken supporter of Trump.
Keller’s athletic achievements are unlikely to be affected by the charges, though he could be shunned by USA Swimming and the USOPC at promotional events and other functions featuring former Olympians.
Teller, who grew up in Arizona, was working in Colorado as an independent contractor for real estate firm Hoff & Leigh, which said on its web site that he advised “industrial landlords and sellers on maximizing the value of their industrial asset.”
Hoff & Leigh released a statement to SwimSwam on Tuesday saying Keller has resigned.