Prosecutors say attorneys representing Kyle Rittenhouse — the teenager who allegedly shot and killed two unarmed people at a Jacob Blake protest over the summer — have questionable pasts.
Los Angeles civil lawyers John Pierce and Andrew Calderon are said to be so disgraceful, Wisconsin prosecutors want them removed from the case.
Pierce reportedly led fundraising efforts for Rittenhouse’s $2 million bail by targeting political right-leaning donors.
However, at a hearing on Thursday, Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger forwarded a motion, citing documents and news reports about Pierce having “significant personal financial difficulties.”
READ MORE: White domestic terrorists like Kyle Rittenhouse are held to a different standard
Binger suspects that Pierce’s motivations for representing Rittenhouse is to profit off right-wing donors, The Chicago Tribune reports.
“Money that should be held in trust for the defendant may instead be used to repay attorney Pierce’s numerous creditors,” Binger said.
The motion states that Pierce is broke with a monthly expense of about $50,000 while being $1.2 million in debt, He also reportedly breached the contract on his $1.3 million Ventura County house.
Pierce is accused of speaking about the case outside of court, which could lead to disbarment. Wisconsin law restricts lawyers from speaking about the legal ongoings of a case before trial, especially if Pierce has being critical of District Attorney Michael Graveley, prosecutors said.
Pierce’s colleague, Calderon, has also been questioned in the motion, as prosecutors seek to disqualify him.
Responding to the criticism, Pierce tweeted that another lawyer, Mark Richards, will be handling Rittenhouse’s Wisconsin case, while he and Calderon handle potential defamation claims.
As theGrio previously reported, Rittenhouse is a white domestic terrorist.
Read More: Kyle Rittenhouse charged in protest deaths posts $2M bail
Rittenhouse is accused of killing Joseph Rosenbaum, 36 and Anthony Huber, 26, and injuring Gaige Grosskreutz, 26, during a Black Lives Matter protest in Kenosha on Aug. 25. Gun charges against him could be dismissed because his attorneys claim he acted in self defense.
“The state is trying to put forward a one-sided view of what happened protecting someone who does not deserve protection, he’s a masked robber,” Richards said of Rosenbaum, Kenosha News reported.
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