Jim Piwowarczyk

Kenosha prosecutor Thomas Binger continued his bizarre approach on Wednesday in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial, playing video after video that showed Rittenhouse being chased and attacked before opening fire. Binger only served to prove anew how lawless and dangerous the riots were in Kenosha the night that Rittenhouse shot three people. Indeed, Assistant District Attorney Binger helped make the case for self defense, which continues a pattern that's been present throughout the trial. The Kenosha County DA's office decision to charge Rittenhouse, 18, with homicide does not align with the facts. That the charges don't fit Rittenhouse's actions (especially the first-degree intentional homicide count) was clear from the start to anyone who had watched the videos that were already public. The trial is only reinforcing it. It's almost painful listening to Binger present testimony that builds the case for acquittal. But it is revealing. In fact, a key prosecution witness,...

Richie McGinniss, the Daily Caller video editor who was running behind Joseph Rosenbaum when Kyle Rittenhouse shot Rosenbaum, testified in court on Nov. 4, 2021, that Rosenbaum "lunged" for Rittenhouse's gun and "threw his momentum toward the weapon," bolstering the defendant's self-defense argument and blowing a major hole in the state's case. "It was very clear to me that he (Rosenbaum) was reaching specifically for the weapon because that’s where his hands went," McGinniss testified. He then stood up in the courtroom, putting both of his hands out, and demonstrated the lunge. He said Rosenbaum was in an "athletic position" as if he was "running as fast as he could." The rifle was aimed lower than Rosenbaum's hands, which were also going lower. Rittenhouse "dodged around it," and then leveled the weapon and fired. "It appeared he was lunging for the front portion of the weapon," McGinniss said...

Richie McGinniss, the Daily Caller video editor who was running behind Joseph Rosenbaum, testified in court on Nov. 4, 2021, that Rosenbaum "lunged" for Rittenhouse's gun and "threw his momentum toward the weapon," bolstering the defendant's self-defense argument and blowing a major hole in the state's case. "It was very clear to me that he (Rosenbaum) was reaching specifically for the weapon because that’s where his hands went," McGinniss testified. He then stood up in the courtroom, putting both of his hands out, and demonstrated the lunge. He said Rosenbaum was in an "athletic position" as if he was "running as fast as he could." The rifle was aimed lower than Rosenbaum's hands, which were also going lower. Rittenhouse "dodged around it," and then leveled the weapon and fired. "It appeared he was lunging for the front portion of the weapon," McGinniss said, adding that Rosenbaum yelled f*** y...

Kenosha prosecutor Thomas Binger continued his bizarre approach on Wednesday in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial, only serving to prove anew how lawless and dangerous the riots were in Kenosha the night that Rittenhouse shot three people, his lawyers say in self-defense. He played video after video that showed Rittenhouse being chased and attacked before opening fire. In other words, Assistant District Attorney Binger helped make the case for self defense, which continues a pattern that's been present throughout the trial. What else is he supposed to do, though; he doesn't get to make up the facts. But the Kenosha County DA's office decision to charge Rittenhouse, 18, with homicide counts does not align with the facts. That the charges don't fit Rittenhouse's actions (especially the first-degree intentional homicide count) is becoming increasingly clear, and, frankly, it was clear from the start to anyone who had watched the videos that were already public. Inundating...

Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling, citing the "failure" of Attorney General Josh Kaul to investigate, is recommending that the Racine County District Attorney file felony criminal charges against five members of the state of Wisconsin Election Commission. "Based upon multiple questions from various news organizations concerning the status of the Voter Integrity investigation that was explained in a news conference on October 28, 2021, the Sheriff’s Office is again calling on Attorney General Josh Kaul to conduct a statewide investigation into the illegal directives issued by the Wisconsin Election Commission," Schmaling said in a news release on Nov. 3, 2021. Democrat Kaul responded by trashing Schmaling, accusing him of "a disgraceful publicity stunt" and "an abuse of authority." However, the sheriff says he initiated the investigation at the request of the DA after the daughter of an elderly woman came forward to raise concerns ab...

Prosecutors in the Kyle Rittenhouse homicide trial have possessed an FBI thermal image video taken by a plane flying above the Kenosha riots for over a year. In opening statements , Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger claimed that Rittenhouse was the person who chased Joseph Rosenbaum first before Rosenbaum started chasing Rittenhouse, leading to the first shooting. That was significant because it was an attempt to paint Rittenhouse as an aggressor, which could weaken a self-defense argument and was previously unknown. The only thing known before day 1 of the trial was that Rosenbaum is seen on video chasing Rittenhouse. But... The FBI thermal image video seems to contradict the narrative prosecutors told jurors earlier in the opening statements. First of all, they never backed it up in court when they called the FBI agent to the stand. Secondly it's hard to tell from the video what was going on; perhaps Rittenhouse was just walking down the sidewalk in the general d...

Calling it a “life and death Decision,” the Milwaukee Police Association endorsed Eric Toney for AG, slamming Josh Kaul for failing to prioritize public safety. The Milwaukee Police Association has endorsed Fond du Lac County DA Eric Toney for Attorney General instead of Democratic incumbent Josh Kaul, slamming Kaul for putting "safety at the bottom." "Milwaukee Police Association members are working on the front lines every day to provide the highest degree of uninterrupted public safety service to the community. So is Fond du Lac District Attorney Eric Toney," wrote Andrew Wagner, MPA president, in a news release. "That is why the MPA, representing 1,500 professional Police Officers, Forensic Investigators, and Detectives of the City of Milwaukee, proudly announces its endorsement of Eric Toney for the office of Wisconsin Attorney General," the release continues. The MPA said that Eric Toney "is the tough-on-crime prosecutor Milwaukee and ...

Calling it a “life and death Decision,” the Milwaukee Police Association endorsed Eric Toney for AG, slamming Josh Kaul for failing to prioritize public safety. The Milwaukee Police Association has endorsed Fond du Lac County DA Eric Toney for Attorney General instead of Democratic incumbent Josh Kaul, slamming Kaul for putting "safety at the bottom." "Milwaukee Police Association members are working on the front lines every day to provide the highest degree of uninterrupted public safety service to the community. So is Fond du Lac District Attorney Eric Toney," wrote Andrew Wagner, MPA president, in a news release. "That is why the MPA, representing 1,500 professional Police Officers, Forensic Investigators, and Detectives of the City of Milwaukee, proudly announces its endorsement of Eric Toney for the office of Wisconsin Attorney General," the release continues. The MPA said that Eric Toney "is the tough-on-crime prosecutor Milwaukee and t...

As the vote tally began racking up Tuesday night, Glenn Youngkin was clearly overperforming in key suburban areas, and conservatives were applauding his decision to lean into culture-war issues in the final months of the campaign. At the candidate’s victory party at a Marriott hotel in this leafy Loudoun County suburb, supporters waved a variety of pro-Youngkin signs, each representing a different voting bloc: business owners, farmers, veterans and Latinos. One stood out: Parents for Youngkin. After the economy, voters said education was the most important issue facing the state, and Youngkin led Democrat Terry McAuliffe on those two issues by double digits, according to exit polls. In his victory speech delivered shortly after 1 a.m., Youngkin promised to “restore excellence” in the commonwealth’s school system and institute “school choice.” “We’re going to embrace our parents, not ignore them,” he pledged. Some of his fiercest supporters were clearly elated after months of fi...

Josh Kaul crime failure: He's dropped the ball on fighting crime, Eric Toney says . Republican attorney general candidate Eric Toney, who is the Fond du Lac County DA, says Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul has defunded prosecutors and law enforcement, showing he "isn't serious about addressing the violent crime epidemic. Toney also called out Kaul for his failures to effectively manage the state crime lab. (Read our investigative piece on that here. ) “Josh Kaul is pushing a recycled, liberal wish list of ideas which shows he isn’t serious about addressing the violent crime epidemic. He has defunded prosecutors and law enforcement from DOJ when more police officers and resources for law enforcement are what’s needed," Toney said in response to a big media push Kaul is making for election time on crime. Toney says the AG's press conferences on crime obscure his failed record on the issue. “It takes a focus on traditional law enforcement —  not poli...

Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling, citing the "failure" of Attorney General Josh Kaul to investigate, is recommending that the Racine County District Attorney file felony criminal charges against five members of the state of Wisconsin Election Commission. "Based upon multiple questions from various news organizations concerning the status of the Voter Integrity investigation that was explained in a news conference on October 28, 2021, the Sheriff’s Office is again calling on Attorney General Josh Kaul to conduct a statewide investigation into the illegal directives issued by the Wisconsin Election Commission," Schmaling said in a news release on Nov. 3, 2021. Democrat Kaul responded by trashing Schmaling, accusing him of "a disgraceful publicity stunt" and "an abuse of authority." However, the sheriff says he initiated the investigation at the request of the DA after the daughter of an elderly woman came forward to raise concerns ab...

“I do believe she misled our committee. I believe she misled a lot of people,” Brantjen told The Center Square on Wednesday. “Are you mismanaging the data because you choose to or because you’re not doing your job?” The latest call for Wisconsin’s election administrator to resign comes with a charge of misleading lawmakers. Rep. Janel Brandtjen , R-Menomonee Falls, on Wednesday said Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe muddied the facts about Wisconsin’s voter roll integrity when she testified to the legislature back in June about felons and dead people who are still on the voter rolls. “Audits designed to detect in-state double voting, as well as voting by persons who have been adjudicated incompetent or who are currently serving a felony sentence, are statutorily required and have been conducted successfully for many years,” Meagan Wolfe said at the time. Brandtjen said the recent audit from the Legislative Audit Bureau showed that to be untrue. Meagan...

Federal law grants all parents the right to “observ[e] classroom activities” in public schools. The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) issued a letter, on behalf of a parent, to Kenosha Unified School District (KUSD) Superintendent, Dr. Bethany Ormseth, urging the district to allow parents to observe classroom activities as provided by federal law and school board policy. WILL represents a parent concerned that persistent classroom disruptions may be causing a drop in her son’s academic performance. WILL Deputy Counsel, Dan Lennington, said, “Public school classrooms should not be a ‘black box.’ Parents have the right to know what is being taught in classrooms, and federal law specifically gives parents the right to observe classrooms in person. Kenosha schools should reverse course, and view parents as partners in the education of children.” WILL represents the mother of a student at Kenosha School of Technology Enhanced Curriculum (KTEC), a public charter school...

Joseph Rosenbaum was "stating to Kyle and to Ryan Balch in each other's presence, 'If I get either of you two alone, I'm going to kill you". - Defense attorney Mark Richards during opening statements The prosecution's presentation on the second day of the Kyle Rittenhouse trial in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was a train wreck. You wouldn't know it from the rest of the media, of course, which focused on Rittenhouse yawning or other irrelevancies. How bad was it for the state? So bad that the prosecutor's opening statement almost made the case for the defense. Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger, given the unenviable prosecution assignment, made no persuasive argument to counter Rittenhouse's self-defense claims. Come to think of it, why isn't Kenosha County DA Mike Graveley handling what is arguably the biggest trial in Kenosha's history? Because it's got "loser" all over it, and always has, which begs the question of why t...