Chicago detectives knew a Jussie Smollett deal was in the works, new documents show
The possible deal in the Jussie Smollett case, an agreement that enraged Chicago's mayor and the head of police, was known to detectives a month before charges against the "Empire'' actor were dropped, newly unveiled documents show.
The 460 pages released Thursday show detectives investigating Smollett’s claim that he was the victim of a hate crime were told by Cook County prosecutors a deal with Smollett could include a $10,000 fine and community service.
Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the detectives did not pass the information to superiors because they assumed a deal would include Smollett admitting to wrongdoing.
Smollett, who is black and openly gay, was charged with 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly lying to police when he reported being the victim of a hate-fueled January attack that authorities later came to believe was staged. Prosecutors dropped the charges March 26.
Then-Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson blasted the decision, saying the alleged hoax had unnecessarily tied up police personnel and harmed the city’s reputation.
The documents released Thursday include case reports, arrest reports and supplementary files from the investigation. They provide painstaking detail of the day-by-day discussions and developments in the probe.
Cook County Judge Steven Watkins unsealed the documents last week over Smollett’s objections, saying the actor had gone on national television to discuss the case, undermining his request for privacy regarding the matter.
Smollett at first elicited widespread sympathy when he reported that two masked men jumped him, verbally assaulted him with racial and homophobic slurs, poured a chemical on him and tied a rope around his neck during a late-night attack in a downtown Chicago street on Jan. 29.
The commiseration turned into outrage when police started doubting Smollett’s story and accused him of making it up, saying Smollett had falsified the report in an effort to gain fame because he was unhappy with his salary on the Fox TV show.
Two brothers of Nigerian descent who are acquaintances of Smollett said he paid them to stage the attack.
Johnson called Smollett’s actions “shameful’’ and said the fake hate crime tarnished the city.
Smollett pleaded not guilty to the charges, which were stunningly dropped by Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx, who said her office wasn’t convinced it had enough evidence to convict Smollett and preferred to focus on more serious crimes.
More: Fox renews 'Empire,' but leaves Jussie Smollett's future on the show in doubt
Related: Jussie Smollett case: Brothers accused of carrying out attack sue actor's legal team for defamation
The state attorney’s office also noted that Smollett had paid a penalty in two days of community service and by agreeing to forfeit the $10,000 bond he had paid.
Smollett’s character did not appear in the last two episodes of “Empire’’ last season but Fox executives have not announced whether he will be back for the sixth and final season, saying only there are “no plans’’ for his character’s return to this point.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chicago detectives knew a Jussie Smollett deal was in the works, new documents show
