Podcast 262: Anna Giaritelli Shares Her Experience of Assault in D.C. That Was Never Recorded as a Crime Stat

Episode Introduction

Washington Examiner homeland security reporter Anna Giaritelli joined Sam Stone and Chuck Warren in August 2025, days after she went public with the most personal story of her career. In 2020, she was sexually assaulted in broad daylight near Union Station in Washington, D.C. Five years later, she discovered the crime didn’t appear in the city’s police statistics, even though her attacker was sent to prison.

Giaritelli also discussed her reporting on ICE training facilities, DHS policy changes and border security. J.B. Simko of Philip Morris International U.S. explained the company’s campaign against underage access to nicotine. Kiley’s Corner closed the show with two crime stories in the news that week.

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 at 800-656-4673.

Quick Answer

In Breaking Battlegrounds Podcast 262, from August 2025, Washington Examiner reporter Anna Giaritelli described being sexually assaulted in Washington, D.C. in 2020 and finding that the crime was missing from police statistics. Later investigations found that D.C. police leadership had pressured commanders to manipulate crime data.

Episode Overview

The episode has three segments:

Anna Giaritelli on her assault, D.C. crime data, and her reporting on ICE, DHS and the border.
J.B. Simko of PMI U.S. on the company’s underage-access prevention campaign and 10-point youth prevention plan.
Kiley’s Corner on Ryan Borgwardt’s sentencing and former trooper Michael Proctor’s appeal.

About Anna Giaritelli

Anna Giaritelli covers homeland security for the Washington Examiner, which she joined in 2015. In August 2025, she published her first op-ed, describing her 2020 assault and the omission of the case from D.C. police crime data. She later wrote a book about the experience, Under Assault.

Giaritelli has also joined Breaking Battlegrounds to discuss border crossings under the Trump administration and illegal immigration.

About J.B. Simko

J.B. Simko is Chief Civil Society and Underage Prevention Officer at PMI U.S., the U.S. business of Philip Morris International. He has described the company’s 10-point approach to youth access prevention, which includes partnerships with retailers on age verification.

An Assault That Never Became a Statistic

In her August 14, 2025 op-ed and on social media, Giaritelli wrote that she had waited five years to tell her story. She said D.C. police had covered up what happened to her. Her attacker was arrested months later and went to prison, but she said he never appeared in the Metropolitan Police Department’s public crime data.

She later said she moved from D.C. to Texas after learning her attacker was living on the street a few blocks from her apartment. On September 3, 2025, she shared her story at a Capitol Hill press conference on D.C. crime hosted by Senator John Cornyn. Local leaders pushed back on the Republican criticism at that event.

What Happened Next: The D.C. Crime Data Investigations

These findings came after the episode was recorded:

August 2025: House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer opened an investigation into allegations that MPD leadership manipulated crime data.
December 2025: A committee staff report found that then-Chief Pamela Smith pressured, and at times directed, commanders to manipulate crime statistics. Smith resigned that month and said the decision was personal.
May 2026: MPD’s interim chief said 13 officials had been served termination letters after an internal investigation referred by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Commander Michael Pulliam, already on leave, denied manipulating statistics.
Criminal charges: The AP reported that neither federal investigation found grounds for criminal charges.

PMI U.S. and Underage Nicotine Prevention

Simko discussed PMI U.S.’s “Invested in Responsibility” campaign and its 10-point approach to preventing underage access to nicotine products. The approach includes retail partnerships, age-verification technology and limits on marketing practices. He has said the company sees openly discussing these issues as part of being a responsible corporate citizen.

Kiley’s Corner

Ryan Borgwardt faked his drowning on Green Lake in Wisconsin in August 2024 and fled overseas to meet a woman he had met online. On August 26, 2025, he pleaded no contest to obstructing an officer. He was sentenced to 89 days in jail, matching the number of days he was missing, and ordered to pay $30,000.
Michael Proctor, the former Massachusetts state trooper who led the Karen Read investigation, was fired and appealed to the Civil Service Commission. In October 2025, after the episode, he withdrew his appeal. A State Police trial board had found him guilty of unsatisfactory performance and drinking on the job.

Key Takeaways

Giaritelli’s own case became one of the most cited examples in the debate over D.C. crime statistics.
A House Oversight report and an MPD internal investigation later found manipulation of crime data, and the department moved to fire 13 officials.
The AP reported that federal investigators didn’t find grounds for criminal charges.
PMI U.S. described a 10-point plan focused on retail age verification and marketing limits.

Related Breaking Battlegrounds Episodes

More from Anna Giaritelli

Crime, policing and public safety

ICE, DHS and the border

Hosts and guests

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened to Anna Giaritelli in Washington, D.C.?

Giaritelli, a Washington Examiner homeland security reporter, has said she was sexually assaulted in broad daylight near Union Station in 2020. Her attacker was arrested and imprisoned. In 2025, she revealed that the crime didn’t appear in D.C. police crime data, and she later wrote a book about the experience, Under Assault.

Did D.C. police manipulate crime statistics?

A House Oversight Committee staff report released in December 2025 found that former Chief Pamela Smith pressured, and at times directed, commanders to manipulate crime statistics. In May 2026, MPD served termination letters to 13 officials after an internal investigation. Some officials, including Commander Michael Pulliam, have denied the allegations, and no criminal charges have been reported.

What happened to Ryan Borgwardt?

Ryan Borgwardt, a Wisconsin man who faked his drowning in 2024 to leave the country, pleaded no contest to obstructing an officer on August 26, 2025. He was sentenced to 89 days in jail, the same number of days he was missing, and ordered to pay $30,000.

Did Michael Proctor get his job back?

No. Proctor, the former state trooper who led the Karen Read investigation, appealed his firing to the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission. He withdrew the appeal in October 2025.

Conclusion

In August 2025, Anna Giaritelli told Breaking Battlegrounds a story she had kept private for five years: an assault that led to a prison sentence but never showed up in D.C.’s public crime data. Over the following year, congressional and internal police investigations examined how those statistics were compiled, and the department moved to fire 13 officials. Her interview captured the story as it was breaking.

Sources

Editorial Note: This article is intended for informational and analytical purposes. Political developments, policies, polling, and public statements can change over time. Readers should consult primary sources and official government information for the latest details.