Foxx releases Smollett files, offers recusal explanation on WTOP| CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago’s top prosecutor has released more than 2,000 pages of documents in Jussie Smollett’s case and explained she recused herself from an investigation into the “Empire” actor’s claim he’d been the target of a racist…
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago’s top prosecutor again shifted her explanation for why she recused herself from an investigation into Jussie Smollett’s claim that he’d been the target of a hate crime, saying she stepped aside because of false rumors she was related to the “Empire” actor.
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx offered the new public explanation in a statement issued along with the release of 2,000 pages of documents in the case, which also refer to the rumors arising as suspicions grew that Smollett, who is black and gay, staged the attack against himself.
Her statement and the documents, which included internal office communications, illustrate how Fox and her office at times agonized over whether she should recuse herself at all and over how to explain the decision in March to drop all charges that accused Smollett of lying about the assault and making a false police report. Smollett claimed he was the victim of an racist, anti-gay attack in downtown Chicago in January.
Foxx said in her Friday statement: “False rumors circulated that I was related or somehow connected to the Smollett family, so I removed myself from all aspects of the investigation and prosecution… so as to avoid even the perception of a conflict,”
But previous explanations suggested that she recused herself in Febraury because of communications with a Smollett family member as the investigation of the reported attack was ongoing.
Foxx communicated in early February with former first lady Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff Tina Tchen, who was representing Smollett’s family, and with a member of Smollett’s family about the investigation. She recused herself on Feb. 13, and her office cited the communications with the Smollett relative, whom Tchen had encouraged Foxx to call, as the reason for the decision.
The new documents portrayed her as torn about whether to recuse herself at all.
In texts with her chief of staff, Jennifer Ballard Croft, said she was unhappy about having to step away from the investigation — even calling the false rumors “racist.
