Klete Keller Apologizes to Coaches: ‘I Let You Down’, According to New York Times

Klete Keller 2000 Olympic Trials by Peter Bick 1 copy (1)
Klete Keller at the 2000 Olympic trials. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Klete Keller Apologizes to Former Coaches: “I Let You Down.”

Klete Keller issued a tearful apology to former coaches about his role at the U.S. Capitol insurrection, according to the New York Times.

“He apologized to me,” former USC and U.S. national team coach Mark Schubert told the New York Times. “He kept repeating, ‘You’ve done so much for me, and I let you down.’ He kept saying over and over, ‘I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.’”

Keller has turned himself into authorities and is facing federal charges.

He faces up to five years in prison, and a $250,000 fine, for his felony charge, and up to one year and six months for the two misdemeanors, respectively, in addition to another quarter million fine attached to each.

As previously reported, an FBI agent wrote in a criminal complaint that he was able to identify the 6-foot-6 Keller, noting the Team USA jacket that Keller, a three-time Olympian, wore during the riot.

Keller, through his attorney, declined to be interviewed by the New York Times. He has not spoken to any media since the incident.

But he has spoken to coaches.

Former Team USA coach John Urbanchek told the Times that Keller was emotional during their conversation. He was upset with himself, Urbanchek said, saying, “he never thought about what could happen.”

“He was at the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong people,” Urbanchek told the Times.

The affidavit charges probable cause that Klete Keller violated statues that make it illegal to “1) knowingly enter or remain in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority to do so; and (2) knowingly, and with intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business or official functions, engage in disorderly or disruptive conduct in, or within such proximity to, any restricted building or grounds when, or so that, such conduct, in fact, impedes or disrupts the orderly conduct of Government business or official functions; or attempt or conspire to do so.”

Other allegations from the affidavit include to “willfully and knowingly (D) utter loud, threatening, or abusive language, or engage in disorderly or disruptive conduct, at any place in the Grounds or in any of the Capitol Buildings with the intent to impede, disrupt, or disturb the orderly conduct of a session of Congress or either House of Congress, or the orderly conduct in that building of a hearing before, or any deliberations of, a committee of Congress or either House of Congress; (E) obstruct, or impede passage through or within, the Grounds or any of the Capitol Buildings; and (G) parade, demonstrate, or picket in any of the Capitol Buildings.”

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Spencer
Spencer
3 years ago

Honestly his apology means nothing. He committed serious federal crimes and tried to stop the COUNTING OF ELECTORAL VOTES. Why on earth would we care about the apology of a damn terrorist.

joan
joan
3 years ago

he is a treasonous disgrace and deserves fullest punishment under the law. His crocodile tears are the same as every criminal once they are caught

Helen Dillon
Helen Dillon
3 years ago

No Urbanchek, Klee Keller was not in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people. He purposely took himself to that insurrection and committed those acts of violence of his own free will. There are excuses or alternative reality for Klee Keller. Time to move on from lies and alternative facts to personal responsibility and paying the price for your actions.

Anonymous
3 years ago

Wrong place, wrong time, wrong people. Sorry, that’s really weak. Too bad this guy’s mental state is so fragile that coaches need to coddle him and use euphemistic language. He’s a domestic terrorist. End of.

Matt
Matt
3 years ago

I think that this article explain well what the coach-athlete relation means. Both Schubert and Urbancheck they did a great job from educational point of view.
Of course the apologies means nothing.

Steven Greseth
Steven Greseth
3 years ago

President Lincoln is our greatest President and likely the greatest leader worldwide in the past 1,000 years. He forgave the confederate soldiers and officers and said they should be given their horse and gun so they could go home and farm. If he can forgive we should consider forgiveness as well.

Joseph Mirza
Joseph Mirza
3 years ago

I am sure Mr. Keller is genuinely contrite and regretful for his actions in the capitol riot. He can and should be forgiven but justice must be served.

The best way to honor his coaches, his family, his community and his nation is to now acknowledge his guilt, accept his punishment and make restitution for the damage he helped inflict on the People’s House.

He can then devote the rest of his life to combatting political extremism on both sides and mob violence of any sort. He can also proclaim the toxicity of conspiracy theories and the Big Lie while preaching the gospel of peace, sanity and the rule of law.

That will be a life restored and well spent.

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