President Trump said Thursday that he asked federal authorities to review a Chicago prosecutor’s decision to drop charges against “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, who allegedly faked a hate crime against himself.
“I think the case in Chicago is an absolute embarrassment to our country, and I have asked it be — that they look at it,” Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House.
The case was dropped and sealed Tuesday at the request of the office of State’s Attorney Kimberly Foxx. The actor had faced a 16-count felony indictment, but gave a press conference Tuesday, after charges were dropped, insisting he had been truthful all along.
“I think that case was an absolute embarrassment to our country. And someone has to at least take a good hard look at it,” Trump told reporters.
Smollett was arrested last month after police found evidence that he was not the victim of an anti-black, anti-gay hate crime, as he had claimed. The actor originally claimed white supporters of Trump attacked him with bleach and a noose.
Police said Smollett actually paid black brothers from Nigeria $3,500 via personal check to attack him. Police found evidence that the men purchased rope, bleach, and a red hat to stage the attack.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a Democrat, expressed outrage this week at the decision by Foxx’s office to drop charges, saying that the decision doesn’t smell right. The city intends to bill Smollett for the cost of its investigation of his original claim.
Foxx has given inconsistent public remarks about whether she recused herself from the case, following contact with a Smollett family member, but has defended her office, noting Smollett’s forfeiture of a $10,000 bond, and contending low-level felonies ordinarily are dropped.
Before the charges were dismissed, federal officials already were reviewing a threatening letter Smollett claimed he received in the mail.
