Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., issued her first reaction Thursday evening to the news that “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett was indicted for disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false report about a hate crime.
“Like most of you, I’ve seen the reports about Jussie Smollett, and I’m sad, frustrated, and disappointed,” the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate said in a statement posted to Facebook.
The statement was Harris’ first substantial comment on the controversy ever since she made a snap judgment on the day Smollett filed a police report, calling the alleged attack weeks ago in Chicago in an “attempted modern day lynching.” Since then, she had refused to speak out, saying she wanted to wait for the facts to come out.
Harris’ statement Thursday also touched on how Chicago police had to deal with a wave of serious crime while they were investigating what they have now concluded was a fake attack. At least 20 murders and 134 sexual assaults were reported in Chicago during the 23-day period, according to the Chicago Police Department’s weekly CompStat crime statistics.
“When anyone makes false claims to police, it not only diverts resources away from serious investigations but it makes it more difficult for other victims of crime to come forward,” Harris, the former attorney general of California said.
“At the same time, we must speak the truth: hate crimes are on the rise in America. Just last year, the FBI released statistics that revealed a 17 percent increase in the number of hate crimes in America,” she added. “Part of the tragedy of this situation is that it distracts from that truth, and has been seized by some who would like to dismiss and downplay the very real problems that we must address. We should not allow that. I will always condemn racism and homophobia. We must always confront hate directly, and we must always seek justice. That is what I will keep fighting for.”
Smollett faces a felony charge of disorderly conduct and several years of prison time after he filed a police report claiming he was attacked by two men Jan. 29 in Chicago. Smollett, who is black and gay, claimed two white men yelled racist and homophobic slurs, tied a rope around his neck, and poured bleach on him.
On that same day, Harris took to Twitter and said: “.@JussieSmollett is one of the kindest, most gentle human beings I know. I’m praying for his quick recovery. This was an attempted modern day lynching. No one should have to fear for their life because of their sexuality or color of their skin. We must confront this hate.”
Police said two brothers, Olabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo, who are black, were taken into custody and questioned by police about the alleged attack. Johnson said the brothers told police Smollett staged the attack because he was unhappy with his salary. Johnson also said the brothers participated in Smollett’s scheme because they were offered money: $3,500 before and another $500 after the alleged attack.
Smollett was released from police custody on Thursday on $100,000 bond as he awaits trial. Prosecutors also released a four-page summary of his actions. That summary says it was Smollett’s idea to have one of his friends, Olabinjo Osundairo, indicate he was a supporter of President Trump during the fake attack. “Defendant Smollett also included that he wanted Ola to place a rope around his neck, pour gasoline on him and yell ‘This is MAGA Country,'” it said.
