DOJ Closes Wisconsin Lighter Fluid Case, Can't Find Evidence Of A Crime Against NFL Social Justice Hero

The Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice and the FBI announced Friday that investigators found insufficient evidence that a hate crime or any crime at all occurred in the case of Althea Bernstein. The 18-year-old Wisconsin woman claimed she was attacked by four men who sprayed her with lighter fluid and ignited it, causing neck and facial burns.

The Bernstein case gained widespread recognition from a United States media empire that eagerly promoted Bernstein's claims, likely because they followed a narrative advanced by social justice warriors. The NFL even added her to its list of victims of systemic racism and police brutality. Todd Gurley and Oren Burks of the Packers chose to wear her name on the back of their helmets.

"After a thorough investigation into the events of June 24, 2020, including extensive interviews, exhaustive review of traffic and surveillance video, and expert review of digital and forensic evidence, federal investigators determined that there is insufficient evidence to prove that a violation of any federal criminal statute occurred," the DOJ said in its report. "Further, after reviewing all available evidence, authorities could not establish that the attack, as alleged by the complainant, had occurred. Accordingly, the federal investigation into this incident has been closed based on the lack of evidence."

The full statement from the Department of Justice can be found here.

"Althea Bernstein and her family appreciate the detailed investigative efforts by all involved in this case," her family said in a statement. "Althea's injuries are healing and the support of our community has been invaluable in that regard. We continue to maintain our family privacy and will not be granting interviews at this time."