Jason Nguyen, an investigative reporter with Salt Lake City's ABC4 News, posted on Twitter he had tried to get answers from a local paramedic who had donated $10 to Kyle Rittenhouse's defense fund after private donor data was leaked.
Rittenhouse is charged with killing Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, along with wounding Gaige Grosskreutz with an AR-15 during the riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin when he was 17-years-old last year. Rittenhouse's defense team has argued video evidence shows he shot the three individuals in self-defense.
Nguyen posted a photo of himself knocking on the door of the paramedic's home for the story.
A Utah paramedic donated to the defense fund of Kyle Rittenhouse. It was first reported in the @guardian this morning.
— Jason Nguyen (@FollowWIN) April 17, 2021
Rittenhouse is accused of killing two protesters in Kenosha, WI.
I tried to get the paramedics side of things. See the story tonight at 10p on @abc4utah. pic.twitter.com/sxGUzcrNwb
.@wvcfd conducting an investigation after a paramedic is caught donating $10 to the defense fund of Kyle Rittenhouse using his government email. @abc4utah https://t.co/nRwdmwEWLC
— Jason Nguyen (@FollowWIN) April 17, 2021
The West Valley Fire Department confirmed the paramedic is under investigation because he donated using his government email account.
"We can confirm that Craig Shepherd is an employee of the West Valley City Fire Department. We have become aware of a donation made using his government email account. We are conducting an investigation into this matter, however, such a donation would be representative of personal actions and not those of West Valley City."
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Nguyen's story was heavily criticized on Twitter:
This is fucking pathetic. https://t.co/bIG7rFwBzi
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 18, 2021
A civilized society would call this harassment. https://t.co/iahHy9rUkf
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) April 19, 2021
This is totalitarian thuggery masquerading as reporting, Jason. I'm ashmed that you and I are considered practitioners of a shared profession. https://t.co/IaZqWlVuJR
— Sohrab Ahmari (@SohrabAhmari) April 18, 2021
Far too many journalists are willing to destroy the life of a private citizen doing nothing and bothering no one at a moment's notice. It's frightening and un-American. https://t.co/JvrTegQFHv
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) April 18, 2021
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