TRUMP PEOPLE POWER-COUP D’ETAT: Report: Olympic gold medalist Klete Keller was part of mob that stormed Capitol
Olympic swimmer and two-time gold medalist Klete Keller, seen here in 2008, was reportedly part of the angry mob that invaded the Capitol building last week. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
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Klete Keller, who won two Olympic gold medals as a swimmer for Team USA, was reportedly part of the angry mob that invaded the U.S. Capitol building last Wednesday.
According to swimming site SwimSwam and the New York Times, Keller appears in a video posted by reporter Julio Rosas as part of a crowd surging to resist the Capitol Police. Keller is allegedly the tall, bearded man who appears several times in the middle of the crowd wearing an easily identifiable Team USA jacket.
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Over a dozen people involved in competitive swimming identified Keller to SwimSwam, which first reported the news on Monday. The New York Times also received numerous positive identifications of Keller, with several mentioning that they recognized him from his height and clearly visible Team USA jacket.
The video doesn’t show Keller engaging in any violent activity, but he could face federal charges of unlawful entry and disorderly conduct if authorities are able to positively identify him. Those who invaded and rioted at the Capitol have faced similar charges after being identified, with some facing more serious federal charges involving firearms and theft.
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Keller known as Trump supporter
Keller is known as a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, and the New York Times reported that most of the people they spoke to weren’t surprised he was part of the insurrection at the Capitol. While all his social media accounts have now been deleted, several people told the Times that they contained a lot of pro-Trump content.
Keller, 38, swam in the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Olympics. He won two bronze medals, one silver medal, and two gold medals, both of which he won as part of the 800m freestyle relays in 2004 and 2008. He also set the American record for the 400m freestyle in 2004 and the world record for the 800m relay in 2007. Both records have since been broken.
According to SwimSwam and the Times, Keller now lives in Colorado Springs and works as a real estate agent for the firm Hoff & Leigh. SwimSwam confirmed his employment with Hoff & Leigh on Monday, and reported that his profile was still active on their website at that time. It has since been taken down and nearly all references to him have been removed from the site.
When contacted by Yahoo Sports, Hoff & Leigh declined to comment. Attempts to contact Keller directly were unsuccessful.
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