Kyle Rittenhouse said Monday his former attorneys intentionally kept him behind bars for 87 days for their own political and financial benefits during an interview with Fox News host and Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson.
Rittenhouse said his attorneys Lin Wood and John Pierce claimed he was “safer” in jail rather than being released on bail to return home to his family. He said Wood “raised money on his behalf” and told the teenager to participate in media interviews “against his wishes.”
“Lin Wood was raising money on my behalf and he held me in jail for 87 days, disrespected my wishes, put me on media interviews which I should never have gotten into,” he said. “But he said ‘hey, you’re going to go talk to the Washington Post’ which was not a good idea. Along with John Pierce, they said I was safer in jail instead of at home with my family.”
The 18-year-old said Wood and Pierce took advantage of him for political and financial benefits, rather than assist him in being released from prison. (RELATED: Rittenhouse: ‘I Am Not A Racist Person. I Support The BLM Movement’)
“Eighty-seven days of not being with my family for defending myself and being taken advantage to, being used for a cause by John Pierce and Lin Wood trying to raise money so they can take it for their own benefit. Not trying to set me free.”
Rittenhouse says lawyer Lin Wood used him for political gain: “He held me in jail for 87 days.” pic.twitter.com/LhiSlmqa9O
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) November 23, 2021
The attorneys reportedly had over a million dollars by Sept. 5, just days after his Aug. 25, 2020, arrest for the shootings of Joseph Rosenbaum, Anthony Huber and Gaige Grosskreutz, Rittenhouse said. The then-17-year old was not released from jail until Nov. 20 due to Wood and Pierce’s recommendations.
“They could’ve had me sign the waiver for extradition and had me back in Wisconsin and I could’ve been bailed out by mid-September,” Rittenhouse told Carlson. “They wanted to keep me in jail until November 20.”
Here’s the part that came after I accidentally cut off:
Kyle says he could have been bailed out in mid-September but Lin Wood and John Pierce kept him in jail until November. pic.twitter.com/wxMZnPvDgg
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) November 23, 2021
He described his experience in jail as “scary,” but eventually made acquaintances during his time there, even being able to play cards with his fellow inmates.