Two-time Olympic gold medal swimmer Klete Keller was among the many crowd of President Donald Trump’s supporters inside the U.S. Capitol during last week’s insurrection, in response to reviews.
A video posted on Twitter by a Townhall Media reporter confirmed a person believed to be Keller standing in the midst of a bunch that was pushing towards cops who had been attempting to clear the Rotunda.
The person is seen carrying a jacket with the letters “USA” on the again.
The New York Times and Washington Post stated they spoke to former teammates and coaches who recognized the person within the video as Keller.
NBC Information has not been capable of independently confirm that the previous Olympian was concerned, and calls to numbers listed for him weren’t instantly returned on Wednesday.
USA Swimming stated it was conscious of the reviews.
“We respect non-public people’ and teams’ rights to peacefully protest however by no means condone the actions taken by these on the Capitol final week,” a spokesperson stated in an announcement.
The US Olympic & Paralympic Committee stated it condemns the “violent actions of the rioters.”
“We help the fitting to peacefully protest and specific values and viewpoints in a respectful and lawful method — that’s what makes our democracy robust. Sadly, that isn’t what occurred on this case,” the committee stated.
Keller, 38, has not publicly commented on his alleged participation on the Capitol, which was first reported by the swimming web site SwimSwam.
The athlete, who was a teammate of Michael Phelps, was a member of three U.S. Olympic groups. He won gold within the 4×200 meter relay workforce occasion in Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008. He gained silver within the occasion on the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
USA Swimming stated he was final registered as a member in 2008. After stepping away from the game, Keller labored as an unbiased contractor for Hoff & Leigh, an actual property company in Colorado Springs.
The company stated in an announcement that Keller resigned on Tuesday.
“Hoff & Leigh helps the fitting of free speech and lawful protest however we can not condone actions that violate the rule of regulation,” the company stated.
“We delight ourselves on our deeply held core values of household, loyalty, group and stewardship. We proceed to face by these values.”
Final Wednesday, tons of of pro-Trump supporters breached the Capitol in protest of the Electoral Faculty vote affirming President-elect Joe Biden’s victory within the November election. 5 individuals, together with a police officer, had been killed throughout the incursion.
Appearing U.S. legal professional in Washington, Mike Sherwin, stated final week that 55 people have been charged in connection to the riot with numerous offenses together with illegal entry, assault, theft and weapons costs.
Sherwin stated federal and native investigators have been looking social media for images and movies of suspects engaged in illegal exercise and people individuals are being arrested as rapidly as potential. No video has emerged of Keller’s collaborating in any violent acts within the Capitol.
