Olympic gold medalist Klete Keller has spoken out after being pardoned by Donald Trump on Monday.
Keller, 42, threw his U.S. team jacket in a trash can after storming the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the seat of American democracy.
At 6 feet tall, Keller towered over police officers guarding the Capitol and other Trump supporters who forced their way into the building, and he was quickly identified by authorities.
He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in 2021 and was one of the first rioters to publicly agree to cooperate with authorities investigating the attack on the Capitol. In 2023, he was sentenced to six months of house arrest and three years of probation.
During his inauguration on Monday, Trump pardoned about 1,500 of his supporters who attacked the U.S. Capitol four years ago, the vast majority of those convicted in connection with the riot.
Those pardoned included leaders of the far-right groups the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys. But that number also included Keller, a five-time Olympic medalist, and he has expressed relief.
Olympic gold medalist Klete Keller was pardoned by Donald Trump on Monday
At 6 feet tall, Keller towered over police officers guarding the Capitol and other Trump supporters
Speaking to The Washington Post, Keller said: “It didn't feel real. And when I woke up this morning, I thought, “My God. Wow, this is over. I don't have to report to my parole officer anymore.”
“It's just such an amazing feeling of relief.”
Video captured Keller leading profane chants targeting then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, both Democrats. He also joined a chorus of rioters and sang the national anthem in the middle of the Capitol.
He resisted efforts to remove him from the Capitol, snatching an elbow and shaking off a police officer, prosecutors said.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon sentenced Keller to three years of probation, including six months of home confinement, and ordered him to perform 360 hours of community service.
Keller told the judge he knew his actions on Jan. 6 put lawmakers in fear and made it harder for police to do their jobs.
“I have no excuse as to why I stand before you today,” he said. “I understand that my actions were criminal and that I am fully responsible for my behavior.”
During the January 6 riot, Keller wore a jacket with an American flag on the sleeve, an Olympic team patch on the front and the letters “USA” on the back.
On January 6, Keller wore a Team USA Olympic jacket when he joined the mob in Washington
Keller, who has pleaded guilty to 'obstruction of an official proceeding,' is seen entering the Capitol
Keller admitted he felt “lost” when he retired
Prosecutors said he threw the jacket in a trash can on his way back to a hotel and later smashed his cell phone with a hammer because he knew he was “fleeing a crime scene.”
'Klete Derik Keller once carried the American flag as an Olympian. On January 6, 2021, he threw that flag into a trash can,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
Keller's attorney said he threw the jacket away out of shame after leaving the Capitol and meeting a young boy and his father on the train. The boy asked Keller about his Olympic career and asked for a photo with him, attorney Zachary Deubler said in a court filing.
Keller felt that “he let this young man down by behaving the way he did, and the moment this young man and father found out what he did, their admiration for him would disintegrate,” Deubler wrote.
Investigators never recovered the jacket or any cell phone videos or photos he recorded inside the Capitol. Keller surrendered to authorities about a week after returning home to Colorado.
Keller experienced personal and financial problems after retiring from professional swimming. After divorcing his wife in 2014, Keller lived out of his car for nearly a year while working three jobs to pay child support and other expenses, his attorney said.
After the Capitol riot, he lost a job and regular visits with his children. In 2022, he signed the paperwork for his children to be adopted by their stepfather, his lawyer said.
“I hope my case serves as a warning to anyone who rationalizes illegal behavior, especially in a moment of political vehemence,” Keller wrote in a letter to the judge. “The consequences of my behavior will haunt me and my family for the rest of our lives.”
He was branded 'an American hero' after helping the US win gold in the 4x200m freestyle in Athens
On January 6, Keller attended then-President Donald Trump's “Stop the Steal” rally at the White House with a friend before marching with a crowd to the Capitol. He entered the building through an open door on the Upper West Terrace and remained inside for almost an hour.
Keller came within 50 feet of the Senate chamber, which lawmakers evacuated as the crowd engulfed the building. Police officers had to forcibly remove Keller and other rioters from the Capitol through the East Rotunda lobby.
Keller won five medals, including two golds, while competing for the U.S. at three Summer Olympics. At the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia, he won an individual bronze medal in the 400-meter freestyle and a silver medal as the anchor leg of a relay.
At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, Keller swam the anchor leg as the U.S. won gold medals in the 800-meter freestyle relay. He and teammates Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte and Peter Vanderkaay narrowly held off a rival Australian team. At the 2008 Games in Beijing, China, Mr. Keller won another gold medal in a freestyle relay.
