Jussie Smollett Indicted Over Alleged Hate Crime Hoax
Actor Jussie Smollett faces new charges for reporting an attack that Chicago authorities contend was staged to garner publicity, according to media reports Tuesday.
The charges include disorderly conduct counts, according to the reports that cite unidentified sources.
Smollett, who is black and gay, asserted he was the target of a racist and homophobic attack in January 2019.
Smollett was originally charged the following month with disorderly conduct for allegedly staging the attack and lying about it to investigators.
The charges were dropped in March 2019 with little explanation, angering police officials and then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Cook County Judge Michael Toomin in August appointed former U.S. Attorney Dan Webb as a special prosecutor to look into why the charges were dropped.
Webb was also charged with looking into whether Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s calls with a Smollett relative and an ex-aide of former first lady Michelle Obama unduly influenced the decision to drop charges.
Breaking: Jussie Smollett has been indicted by special prosecutor Dan Webb.
He is due in court February 24th.
— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) February 11, 2020
Foxx recused herself from the case but continued to weigh in.
Webb confirmed that Smollett had been indicted again, according to WLS.
“Webb released a statement, saying a Cook County grand jury returned a six-count indictment against Smollett, charging him with making four separate false reports to Chicago police ‘related to his false claims that he was the victim of a hate crime, knowing he was not the victim of a crime,'” WLS reported.
Smollett told police he was walking home early on Jan. 29, 2019, when two masked men approached him, made racist and homophobic insults, beat him and looped a noose around his neck before fleeing.
He said his assailants, at least one of whom he said was white, told him he was in “MAGA country” — a reference to President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”
BOOM:
Jussie Smollett has been indicted by a special prosecutor in Chicago for his fake hate crime HOAX last year
He is set to appear in court February 24th
Justice is coming.
RT!
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) February 11, 2020
Several weeks later, authorities alleged that Smollett had paid two black friends $3,500 to help him stage the attack because he was unhappy with his salary as an actor on “Empire” and wanted to drum up publicity for his career.
“Webb said his investigation was into whether Smollett should be further prosecuted for alleged false police reports, and whether any person or office involved in the investigation engaged in any wrongdoing, including the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office,” WLS reported.
“Webb said he has not yet reached any conclusions as to the second part of the investigation, and that his investigation into whether any person or office involved in the investigation engaged in wrongdoing is ongoing,” the outlet added.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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