(NewsReady.com) – In 2021, Kyle Rittenhouse was cleared of all charges after he shot three rioters in self-defense. That hasn’t ended his legal nightmare, though. He’s now facing two new lawsuits and urgently needs money to pay his fees. Now, he’s trying to crowdfund his defense.
Kyle Rittenhouse raises $200k as supporters rush to help his legal battle https://t.co/Kxv5nGuoUS
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) March 3, 2023
Kyle Rittenhouse hit the headlines in August 2020 when, at age 17, he joined a group of citizens protecting Kenosha, Wisconsin, businesses from rioters. During the violent protests, Rittenhouse was assaulted by three men and shot all three, killing two. He was charged with two counts of homicide and one of attempted homicide, and was cleared of all counts in November 2021. However, he’s now facing two civil suits.
One of the suits against Rittenhouse was filed by John Huber, whose son Anthony — a convicted felon who was jailed twice for assaulting his siblings — assaulted Rittenhouse with a skateboard and was fatally shot. Originally, this suit was aimed at the Kenosha police department, but after Rittenhouse’s acquittal on the criminal charges, Huber added his name to the suit. The other is by Gaige Grosskreutz, who threatened Rittenhouse with a handgun; Rittenhouse shot and wounded him. Grosskreutz has an extensive criminal record, including a prior gun offense.
To cover his legal costs, Rittenhouse launched a crowdfunding appeal on the Christian donation site GiveSendGo in November 2021. In a little over a year, that appeal raised around $109,000 out of a target of $500,000. However, on March 1, Rittenhouse appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show to talk about his legal challenges — and since then, his donations have jumped dramatically. On March 6, the total stood at more than $209,000.
Huber’s lawyers claim they have evidence that police deliberately channeled protesters towards armed citizens; they, and Grosskreutz, will be hoping that the lower standard of evidence required in a civil case will let them sway a jury into finding Rittenhouse guilty. Rittenhouse wants to ensure he has the legal resources to prevent that, and he’s making good progress.
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