Olympic gold medalist swimmer Klete Keller has spoken out after being pardoned by Donald Trump on Monday.
Keller, 42, threw his Team USA jacket in the trash after breaking in the united states capitol during the January 6, 2021 attack on the seat of American democracy.
Standing 6 feet 6 inches tall, Keller towered over police officers guarding the Capitol and other Trump supporters who stormed the building, and authorities quickly identified him.
He pleaded guilty in 2021 to a felony 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 US Capitol four years ago, the vast majority of those convicted in connection with the riot.
Among those pardoned were leaders of the far-right groups Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. But that number also included Keller, a five-time Olympic medalist, and he has expressed relief.
Swimmer and Olympic gold medalist Klete Keller was pardoned by Donald Trump on Monday
At 6 feet 6 inches, Keller towered over police officers guarding the Capitol and other Trump supporters.
Speaking with the Washington PostKeller said: 'It didn't seem real. And when I woke up this morning I thought, “Oh my God. Wow, this is over. I don't have to talk to my probation officer anymore.”
“It's an incredible feeling of relief.”
The video captured Keller leading profane chants directed at then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, both Democrats. He also joined a choir of rioters to sing the national anthem in the middle of the Capitol.
He resisted attempts 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 detention, and ordered him to perform 360 hours of community service.
Keller told the judge he knew his actions on Jan. 6 left lawmakers fearful and made it difficult for police to do their jobs.
“I have no excuse to be in front of you today,” he said. “I understand that my actions were criminal and that I am fully responsible for my conduct.”
During the Jan. 6 riot, Keller wore a jacket with an American flag on one 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 pleaded guilty to 'obstruction of an official proceeding,' is seen entering the Capitol.
Keller admitted to feeling “lost” in retirement
Prosecutors said he threw the jacket into a trash can on his way back to a hotel and then smashed his cell phone with a hammer because he knew he was “fleeing the scene of the crime.”
'Klete Derik Keller once wore the American flag as an Olympic athlete. On January 6, 2021, he threw that flag into a trash can.' prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
Keller's attorney said he threw away his jacket out of embarrassment after leaving the Capitol and encountering a boy and his father on a train. The boy asked Keller about his Olympic career and asked for a photo with him, defense 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 his father found out what he did, their admiration for him would be shattered,” Deubler wrote.
Investigators never recovered the jacket or any cellphone video or photos he recorded at the Capitol. keller handed over to the authorities about a week after returning home to Colorado.
Keller experienced personal and financial problems after retiring from professional swimming. After separating from 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, according to his attorney.
After the Capitol riot, he lost his job and regular visits with his children. In 2022, he signed the paperwork for his children to be adopted by his stepfather, his lawyer said.
“I hope my case serves as a warning to anyone who rationalizes illegal conduct, especially at a time of political fervor,” Keller wrote in a letter to the judge. “The consequences of my behavior will follow me and my family for the rest of our lives.”
He was dubbed an “American hero” after helping the United States win gold in the 4x200m freestyle in Athens.
On Jan. 6, Keller attended then-President Donald Trump's “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House with a friend before marching with a crowd to the Capitol. He entered the building through an open door on Upper West Terrace and remained inside for almost an hour.
Keller came within 50 feet of the Senate chamber, which lawmakers evacuated as the mob invaded the building. Police officers had to forcibly remove Keller and other rioters from the Capitol through the East Rotunda lobby.
Keller won five medalsincluding two golds, while competing for the United States in three Summer Olympics. At the 2000 games in Sydney, Australia, she won an individual bronze medal in the 400-meter freestyle event and a silver medal as the anchor leg of a relay.
At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, Keller swam the anchor leg as the United States 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.