Sandy MaloneKenosha, WI – Attorneys for 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse announced Wednesday that they would be filing a libel suit against former Vice President Joe Biden and his campaign for labeling him a white supremacist in a video ad launched the morning after the first Presidential debate.
The video, posted to Twitter by Biden on Sept. 30, began with the clip from the debate when President Donald Trump was asked to disavow white supremacist groups.
“Are you willing, tonight, to condemn white supremacists and militia groups and to say that they need to stand down and not add to the violence in a number of these cities as we saw in Kenosha and as we’ve seen in Portland?” FOX News debate moderator Mike Wallace asked President Donald Trump just before the debate ended.
When Wallace said the words “as we saw in Kenosha” in the Biden campaign video, a picture of Rittenhouse flashed onto the screen for a few seconds.
The video went back to the debate clip of President Trump saying “sure” and then telling the Proud Boys to “stand down and stand by.”
Then quotes from social media posts allegedly written by Proud Boys celebrating the message from the President scrolled across the screen just before the ad ended with the Biden-Harris campaign logo.
There’s no other way to put it: the President of the United States refused to disavow white supremacists on the debate stage last night. pic.twitter.com/Q3VZTW1vUV
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 30, 2020
The mainstream media and liberal groups have villainized Rittenhouse as somebody who took his gun to Kenosha during the riots with the intent to kill someone.
However, both The New York Times analysis of the Kenosha riot videos and the criminal complaint charging Rittenhouse with the shootings suggest the 17 year old may have been acting in self-defense when he pulled the trigger.
John Pierce, a lawyer with top-tier firm Pierce Bainbridge, said in a press release that Rittenhouse had just finished up a shift at his summer job lifeguarding when he met a friend in Kenosha to help clean graffiti off a school building.
Then they heard about a business owner who needed help defending his business, so they armed themselves and volunteered, WTMJ reported.
The New York Times reported that for two hours prior to the shooting, Rittenhouse was with a group who said they were protecting private property at a gas station.
He rendered medical aid to protesters during that time, according to the newspaper.
But when Rittenhouse walked away from the car dealership a couple hours later, police would not let him return.
His attorney said in the press release that Rittenhouse had become concerned about protesters who were injured in the rioting and left his spot to go offer medical aid, WTMJ reported.
Six minutes later, video footage from the riots showed the 17 year old running for his life with a group of people chasing him, The New York Times reported.
Rittenhouse’s attorneys said their client was scared to death of the mob pursuing him, WTMJ reported.
Lin Wood, attorney for Rittenhouse, announced his intention to sue over the Biden ad just hours after the 50-second clip was posted, FOX News reported.
“On behalf of Kyle Rittenhouse, I shall sue @JoeBiden & Biden/Harris Campaign for libel. I am partisan in 20/20 supporting @realDonaldTrump. I am non-partisan trial lawyer who aggressively pursues truth to achieve justice. Put in your hearing aid, Joe. You will hear footsteps,” Wood tweeted.
On behalf of Kyle Rittenhouse, I shall sue @JoeBiden & Biden/Harris Campaign for libel.
I am partisan in 20/20 supporting @realDonaldTrump.
I am non-partisan trial lawyer who aggressively pursues truth to achieve justice.
Put in your hearing aid, Joe. You will hear footsteps.
— Lin Wood (@LLinWood) September 30, 2020
“He falsely accused a 17-year old boy & prejudiced Kyle’s legal rights,” Wood wrote.
“Formal demand for public retraction is being prepared for Biden/Harris Campaign on behalf of Kyle Rittenhouse. I also hereby demand that @JoeBiden immediately retract his false accusation that Kyle is a white supremacist & militia member responsible for violence in Kenosha,” he continued in another in a series of tweets.
Formal demand for public retraction is being prepared for Biden/Harris Campaign on behalf of Kyle Rittenhouse.
I also hereby demand that @JoeBiden immediately retract his false accusation that Kyle is a white supremacist & militia member responsible for violence in Kenosha. pic.twitter.com/GrZyE8nI7Z
— Lin Wood (@LLinWood) September 30, 2020
Wood said he had added two more attorneys to the legal team representing the 17 year old to pursue a “libel case for Kyle Rittenhouse against Joe Biden & his campaign,” FOX News reported.
Holly Matkin
