Kyle Rittenhouse to sue Joe Biden after campaign ad links teen to white supremacy
The lawyer for accused Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse is suing Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden for libel, accusing the candidate of connecting Rittenhouse to white supremacy in a campaign video.
Biden posted a video on Twitter with a comment saying President Donald Trump “refused to disavow white supremacists” during the debate Tuesday night. The video plays the audio of moderator Chris Wallace asking Trump if he’ll condemn white supremacist and militia groups and ask them to not add to violence during protests, pointing to examples in Portland, Oregon, and Kenosha, Wisconsin. The video includes a photo and footage of 17-year-old Rittenhouse during protests in Kenosha on Aug. 25, the night he’s accused of killing two people and wounding a third, according to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“To say that Kyle is a white supremacist and militia member who was responsible for the violence in Kenosha is a lie. That lie prejudices Kyle’s constitutional right to a fair trial and damages his reputation,” L. Lin Wood, Rittenhouse’s attorney, told Newsweek.
Wood on Wednesday called the campaign’s inclusion of Rittenhouse “reckless.” :
“The only thing that saves Chris Wallace is that he did not use Kyle’s name or likeness. @JoeBiden & his campaign recklessly did. Meets the ‘of and concerning’ requirement of libel law. Joe is going to be sued,” he tweeted
Wood also demanded Biden “immediately retract his false accusation.”.
“Joe Biden is not above the law and must be held accountable for his wrongdoing,” the lawyer told Newsweek. “To falsely attack a young boy for perceived political gain in a campaign ad is an entirely unacceptable rush to judgment and reflects a disdain for our country’s justice system and basic concepts of fundamental fairness.”
A lawsuit has not yet been filed on behalf of Rittenhouse. McClatchy News has reached out to the Rittenhouse defense team for comment.
The Biden campaign “did not respond to Fox News’ request seeking comment.”
Protests in Kenosha started after the shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man. Video shows a police officer firing several shots into the back of Blake as he attempted to get into his SUV on Aug. 23. His father said his son is paralyzed from the waist down.
Video of the protest shows a white male believed to be Rittenhouse, media outlets reported. The person was seen carrying an assault rifle and opening fire on protesters.
Rittenhouse was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, reckless homicide, attempted homicide, possession of a dangerous weapon, and reckless endangerment, CNN reported.
The teen’s defense team says he was there to “protect the city and provide medical care to those injured” during the protests, according to Newsweek.
The Anti-Defamation League, a group that tracks extremists, told CBS News that Rittenhouse’s social media activity doesn’t show that he was linked to extremist movements. His social media shows “he is extremely pro-police and appears to have been a former police explorer, a career-oriented program for youth considering a career in law enforcement,” according to the ADL.