Twice Olympic gold medalist Klete Keller was among the 1,500 defendants charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, riots in the US capital that were pardoned by President Donald Trump on Monday.
“It didn’t feel right,” Keller shared Washington Post in his first interview since his arrest.
Klete Keller of Phoenix shows off his bronze medal in the men’s 400 meter freestyle final at the Sydney International Aquatic Center at the September 2000 Olympics. (IMAGIN)
“And when I woke up this morning, I was like, ‘My God. Wow, it’s over. I don’t have to check in with my probation officer anymore.’
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Keller was one of approximately 1,500 defendants pardoned after Trump signed an executive order granting clemency to those who stormed the Capitol. He pleaded guilty in September 2021 to a felony count and was sentenced to six months of house arrest and three years of probation.
“I truly regret the actions I took that day. I love this country,” Keller said in the interview published Tuesday. “I’m just so grateful that I now have the opportunity to move forward.”
Keller admitted in court records that he tried to prevent congressional certification of former President Biden’s Electoral College victory and that he rebuffed officers who tried to remove him from the Capitol Rotunda. He also admitted to shouting profane comments about former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and former Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Klete Keller checks his watch and confirms that he won bronze with a time of 3:44.11 in the men’s 400m freestyle at the 2004 Athens Olympics. (IMAGIN)
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Keller, a three-time Olympic swimmer, also admitted to throwing away his U.S. Olympic team jacket he was wearing that day and destroying his phone.
He told The Washington Post that he was struggling under the “weight of the justice system” but he accepted the consequences of his decisions. While he never expected a pardon, Keller expressed his appreciation for Trump’s intervention.
“I’m still trying to understand it. I feel like something has been restored to me,” he told the paper. “You know, I’m not angry. I’m not a victim. I feel blessed to have this opportunity for life again. I’ve learned a lot of lessons. And I’m going to take those lessons forward.”
Klete Keller at the Olympics in Beijing 2008. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle, File)
Keller, 42, competed in three Games and won five medals. He won his second gold in the men’s 4×200 meter freestyle relay with Michael Phelps at the 2008 Beijing Games.
