CHICAGO — Chicago filed a lawsuit against Jussie Smollett on Thursday in a bid recoup the costs of investigating a racist, anti-gay attack that authorities…
CHICAGO — Chicago filed a lawsuit against Jussie Smollett on Thursday in a bid recoup the costs of investigating a racist, anti-gay attack that authorities say was orchestrated by the “Empire actor” as a publicity stunt.
The civil lawsuit, filed in Cook County court, is the latest volley in a legal battle that shows no signs of abating since Smollett reported that masked men beat him up on Jan. 29 in Chicago, shouting slurs and wrapping a rope around his neck.
The city’s resolve to take Smollett to civil court follows a surprising decision by prosecutors in March to drop all criminal charges accusing him of staging the incident, saying they believed they could prove the charges but that it wasn’t worth the time and expense.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel denounced the decision as “a whitewash of justice,” and others criticized the Cook County state’s attorney’s office for not requiring an apology and an admission of guilt from Smollett as a condition for tossing the case.
The suit comes after Smollett refused a demand that he send the city $130,106 to reimburse Chicago for overtime as police sought to verify Smollett’s account, included that his attackers yelled slogans supportive of President Donald Trump.
