On January 29, 2019, American actor Jussie Smollett told the Chicago Police Department that he had been assaulted during the early morning hours in Chicago‘s Streeterville by two white men wearing MAGA hats. Smollett said he was walking alone in the 19 degree cold to buy a sandwich at a nearby Subway restaurant. Smollett said the two Trump supporters insulted him by shouting the “N” word and homophobic slurs. He said they also poured an unknown chemical substance on him, possibly bleach, and tied a noose around his neck.[2]
Throughout the following day, Smollett made numerous public statements, and gave high profile interviews on the major news networks. Numerous Hollywood and other entertainment celebrities, including Shonda Rhimes and Viola Davis, tweeted their outrage over the attack and support for Smollett.[29] Democratic Senators and presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Cory Booker both described the attack as an attempted modern-day lynching by Trump supporters. Booker urged Congress to pass a federal anti-lynching bill co-sponsored by him and Harris. In an interview with April Ryan of the black owned American Urban Radio Network, President Trump was asked about Smollett being attacked and said, “I think that’s horrible. It doesn’t get worse.”
Smollett’s story, in many ways, seemed preposterous from the beginning. Comedian David Chappelle best pointed out inconsistencies in that story in a Netflix special comedy performance he gave six months later. Click here for link to the YouTube video: https://youtu.be/wZXoErL2124
CNN News reporters quickly learned that Chicago police did not believe Smollett and were pursuing an investigation to prove that Smollett was lying. CNN national news host Don Lemon personally contacted Smollett to warn him.
Top Democratic Party officials acted quickly to try to stop the police investigation, and block any charges against Smollett. Tina Tchen, former chief of staff for Michele Obama repeatedly urged Chicago prosecutor Kim Foxx to dismiss the charges. Foxx was elected to that position in 2016 with the help of a $408,000 campaign contribution from George Soros. She was re-elected in 2020 with a $2 million contribution from Soros.
After being contacted by Tchen, Kim Foxx publicly claimed she was recusing herself from the case due to her “familiarity with potential witnesses in the case”. However, she did not. She merely passed the case to someone on her staff.
Within days, Chicago police found overwhelming evidence that Smollett had not only lied to them, but had paid two black members of his “Empire” television show $3,500 to fake an attack on him. The two explained how they bought the bleach and rope Smollett suggested for the attack. The two black cast members said they had to buy plain red baseball caps, because they could not find any MAGA hats for sale in Chicago. Their statements were corroborated by store records and surveillance video. The Chicago police recommended that criminal charges be filed against Smollett for lying to police.
On February 20, 2019, Smollett was charged by a grand jury with a class 4 felony for filing a false police report. Smollett’s felony count charge in Illinois carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
Judge John Fitzgerald Lyke Jr. set Smollett’s bail at $100,000; a friend of the actor paid a $10,000 bond, and Smollett was released from custody the next day.
On March 8, Smollett was indicted on 16 felony counts of “false report of offense” related to the incident. On March 14, 2019, Smollett and his legal team entered not guilty pleas.
Twelve days later, all charges filed against Smollett were suddenly dropped, with Judge Steven Watkins ordering the public court file sealed. First Assistant State’s Attorney Joseph Magats said the office reached a deal with Smollett’s defense team in which prosecutors would drop the charges in exchange for Smollett performing 16 hours of community service and forfeiting his $10,000 bond.
The Chicago police persisted in pursuing the charges, and released their records to the public. That June, a Chicago judge appointed a Special Prosecutor to take over the case because of “unprecedented irregularities” by Kim Foxx. On February 11, 2020, Smollett was re-indicted by that Special Prosecutor.
Jury selection for Smollett’s trial took place on November 29, 2021. During the trial, Smollett’s defense attorney accused the judge of attempting to attack her. The judge denied the claim as well as her motion for a mistrial. Last December 9, the jury found Smollett guilty on five of the six counts of felony disorderly conduct.
Click here for link to full Wikipedia article: Jussie Smollett assault hoax – Wikipedia
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