Former Empire actor Jussie Smollett as been indicted for the hate crime he allegedly staged.
Smollett, 37, was charged with six counts of disorderly conduct by special prosecutor Dan Webb on Tuesday, according to Fox News.
In January 2019, the actor claimed two men, who he said were wearing Make America Great Again hats, beat him up one night and wrapped a noose around his neck. He also alleged that they shouted, “This is MAGA country!”
As police investigated the incident, inconsistencies in his story arose, and the police determined that he likely made it up and paid the people involved. Chicago prosecutors initially charged the actor with 16 felonies related to the fake hate crime, but the charges were dropped by State Attorney Kim Foxx, who called them “excessive.”
The prosecutor then recused herself after it was revealed she had communicated with Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff, Tina Tchen, who is a close friend of the Smollett family, although her office claimed she did it in an unofficial capacity.
Cook County Judge Michael Toomin appointed the special prosecutor in June following Foxx’s recusal, and the subsequent appointment of her deputy to take over the case.
“Although disqualification of the duly elected State’s Attorney necessarily impacts constitutional concerns, the unprecedented irregularities identified in this case warrants the appointment of independent counsel to restore the public’s confidence in the integrity of our criminal justice system,” Toomin wrote in the decision.
Webb could also charge members of Foxx’s office for mishandling the case.
