USA Swimming “in no way tolerates the actions taken by those on the Capitol.”
Olympic gold medalist Klete Keller was accused of his alleged involvement in the attack on the Capitol last week.
The swimmer was accused of obstructing law enforcement in official duties, illegally entering Capitol grounds and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
It was speculated for the first time that Keller was involved in the riot when people started to identify a man who looked like him in a video made by Townhall reporter Julio Rosas. The video shows a tall man apparently wearing a United States Olympic Team jacket, and former teammates and coaches identified him as Keller, SwimSwam and The New York Times reported.
In the video, which was cited in the complaint against Keller, the Capitol Police fight with protesters at the Rotunda, and Keller was pushed back with the crowd by police shields.
The complaint, referring to the Townhall video, notes that “Colorado state records and list of publicly available information [Keller’s] 6 feet tall, 6 inches tall and [the person in the video] seems to be one of the tallest individuals in the video that depicts individuals at the Rotunda. “
Keller was hired by Colorado real estate firm Hoff & Leigh, but according to the company in a statement, he resigned on Tuesday.
“With immediate effect, Klete Keller is no longer at Hoff & Leigh. Keller, an independent contractor, resigned from the company today,” said the company. “Hoff & Leigh supports the right to freedom of expression and legal protest, but we cannot tolerate actions that violate the rule of law. We are proud of our deep-seated fundamental values of family, loyalty, community and administration. We continue to defend these values. “
In response to reports about Keller’s participation in the siege, USA Swimming said in a statement: “We respect the rights of individuals and private groups to protest peacefully, but in no way do we tolerate the actions taken by those on Capitol last week.”
Before the accusation was brought against Keller, US Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland sent a letter to US Team athletes condemning “troublemakers” on Capitol Hill.
“At home and around the world, US Team athletes are considered to be of a high standard because they represent our country both on and off the field,” wrote Hirshland. “What happened in Washington, DC, was a case where that standard was clearly not met. The people involved attacked the very structure of democracy that we all proudly represent and, in turn, also disappointed our community. I ask all members to Team USA to continue celebrating our diversity of backgrounds and beliefs, staying together against hatred and division and using our influence to create positive changes in our community. “
Keller, 38, won medals at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. He was on the United States relay team along with Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte and Peter Vanderkaay.