Since January 22 Jussie Smollett has continued to come up on the news. First, he received a hate letter, then he got assaulted, next, it was revealed that he had staged the attack, and now all state charges against him have been dropped. It’s not the end for Smollett though, the FBI is still investigating the letter Smollett received in January and the Chicago Mayor, Rahm Emanuel is not pleased with how the case turned out so it might be brought up again in Chicago.
“It is an embarrassment to our Nation!” Trump tweeted, referring to the Jussie Smollett case that has repeatedly made news the past couple of months. Trump also said that the FBI would the Justice Department review the Smollett case.
FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago. It is an embarrassment to our Nation!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2019
Although it is unclear what the FBI can do about the Smollett case after state prosecutors dropped charges again him. However, the FBI can continue investigating a letter which Smollett received back in January. The threatening letter was mailed to Smollett at the studio where the “Empire” show is filmed about a week before the assault took place.
In February Chicago police officer Michael Carroll confirmed that the letter contained a white powder substance, which was later found to be acetaminophen or Tylenol. [1] Shortly after the attack, Smollett told Good Morning America that he believed the assault was linked to the letter, “because on the letter, it had a stick figure hanging from a tree with a gun pointing towards it with the words that said ‘Smollett, Jussie you will die,’ ” he said. He continued by adding that the return address was simply listed as “MAGA.” [2]
After prosecutors dropped all charges against Smollett on Tuesday, Chicago Mayor, Rahm Emanuel, and Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson told reporters at a press conference that they weren’t happy with the decision.
“This is a whitewash of justice,” Emanuel stated. “It’s Mr. Smollett who committed this hoax. He’s still saying he’s innocent, still running down the Chicago Police Department. How dare he? How dare he? It is wrong. Full stop,” Emanuel said. “From top to bottom, this is not on the level.” [3]
Neither the mayor nor police chief could say why the prosecutors dropped their charges. Johnson stated that Smollett and the prosecutors are “hiding behind [court] secrecy to broker a deal to circumvent the judicial system,” but Johnson will continue to “stand behind my detectives.”
Notes:
- ^Jackson, David and Aamer Madhani. “President Donald Trump says FBI will look into Jussie Smollett case.” USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2019, www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/03/28/donald-trump-says-fbi-look-into-jussie-smollett-case/3296713002. (go back ↩)
- ^Mallenbaum, Carly and Erin Jensen. “Jussie Smollett recounts violent attack on ‘GMA’: I saw the rope ‘and I started screaming’.” USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2019, www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2019/02/13/jussie-smollett-interview-im-pissed-off-people-dont-believe-truth/2865051002. (go back ↩)
- ^Madhani, Aamer and Maria Puente. “Charges dropped against ‘Empire’ actor Jussie Smollett; Chicago mayor, police outraged.” USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2019, www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2019/03/26/jussie-smollett-charges-dropped-against-empire-star/3276106002. (go back ↩)
