Why is WOODTV8 providing a platform for a White Supremacist and founder of the American Patriot Council to talk about January 6th 2021?

On Monday, January 6th, WOODTV8 did a story about the attempted insurrection in Washington, DC in 2021.  

The story is uncommonly long for a local TV news story, running a full 3 minutes and 31 seconds. What is even worse, is the fact that WOODTV8 contacted Ryan Kelley, someone who participated in the January 6th, 2021 insurrection, thus providing him a platform for justifying his role in the 2021 insurrection.

The WOODTV8 reporter, Meghan Bunchman, talked with Kelley at length and only referred to him as a former Michigan Gubernatorial candidate. The reporter did acknowledge that he was convicted of participating in the attempted insurrection and that he did 60 days in a federal prison.

However, what the WOODTV8 reporter did not say, was that Ryan Kelley is the founder of the American Patriot Council and a known White Supremacist. I first began reporting on Kelley and the American Patriot Council in early 2020, after they began organizing protests at the Lansing State Capital. Kelley was often a speaker at these protests, which were designed to oppose the Lock Down order put in places by Gov. Whitmer. At most of those protests, there were numerous heavily armed men who showed up, where on one occasion these armed men were allowed to enter the State Capital. What follows is a rundown of the stories I have written about Ryan Kelley and the American Patriot Council. 

In April of 2020, Ryan Kelley and the American Patriot Council were involved in the protest at Gov. Whitmer’s home and they were the lead organizer for the large protest at the Lansing State Capitol a week later.

In May of 2020, the American Patriot Council and Ryan Kelley organized a rally at Rosa Parks Circle in Grand Rapids. I did two stories about that rally, which I attended. The first story was done right after the rally, and a second story where I identified some of the more high profiled people at that rally.

In the summer of 2020, Ryan Kelley and other members of the American Patriot Council showed up as counter-protesters in Allendale, Michigan after civil rights activists were calling attention to a Civil War Statue that was favorable to the Confederate Army. Ryan Kelley then led a rally in October at the same sight in Allendale, but this time roughly 75 civil rights people showed up to protest the American Patriot Council rally.

Here are a few more articles on Ryan Kelley and the American Patriot Council.

American Patriot Council says they only support lawful action, but they have created a climate which led to the plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer 

Echoing the Trump administration, the American Patriot Council is calling for “patriots” to go to Detroit to protest the vote count

Founders of the American Patriot Council were involved in the January 6th Siege at the US Capitol 

Ryan Kelley: Campaign Finances, COVID denial and other falsehoods 

Ryan Kelley’s new political ad is filled with misinformation, unsubstantiated claims, and wrapped in White Supremacist rhetoric

I just sent an Email to WOODTV8 reporter Meghan Bunchman and I encourage you to do the same. It is unacceptable to provide Ryan Kelley so much airtime and not even question or challenge his role in the American Patriot Council, his promotion of White Supremacist ideology, and his participation in the January 6th attempted insurrection. Meghan’s Email is meghan.bunchman@woodtv.com.