Michigan Republican candidate for governor Ryan Kelley will have to surrender his guns while he is awaiting trial on misdemeanor criminal charges in connection to the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol breach, according to a judge’s ruling issued Thursday.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robin Meriweather made the ruling even as Kelley’s attorney argued he needs to carry a concealed weapon for self-defense as he makes campaign appearances in Michigan, local media reported. The judge also said Kelley cannot leave the state while awaiting trial and has to surrender his passport.
Gary Springstead, his lawyer, said that Kelley is “a bit of a high-profile candidate in Michigan” as recent polls showed that he was the front-runner among Republican gubernatorial candidates. Kelley, who has a license to carry a concealed weapon, “asked that he be permitted to carry his firearm for his own self-defense, during the campaign,” his lawyer added….