A celebrity has gotten the attention of the US president Donald Trump soon after a mayor was reported fuming after the announcement that the court cleared him of the offense of falsifying information on homophobic attack to the police.
“FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago,” Trump tweeted Thursday. “It is an embarrassment to our Nation!”
Smollett had been charged with falsifying a police report by claiming he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in January.
The actor told police he was attacked by two masked men as he was leaving a Subway restaurant near his apartment in Chicago around 2 a.m. on Jan. 29. Smollett, who is black and gay, initially said the men shouted racist and homophobic slurs, poured bleach on him and tied a rope around his neck. He claimed the alleged attackers yelled, “MAGA country” — a reference to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
The actor said he sustained injuries to his clavicle bone and bruised ribs during the attack.
Police later identified and questioned two “persons of interest” captured on surveillance video near the scene around the time of the alleged attack. The men, brothers Ola and Abel Osundairo, told police that Smollett paid them $3,500 by check to help orchestrate and stage the crime after he became upset that a threatening letter addressed to him and sent to the Fox set where “Empire” is filmed did not get enough attention.
The crude letter was sent in an envelope that contained a powdery substance and had “MAGA” written on it. The substance was later determined to be aspirin. Police said that they believe Smollett sent the letter to himself.
According to Smollett, the $3,500 check was for nutrition and training advice.
The actor was indicted on 16 counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly falsifying a police report, a Class 4 felony that is punishable by up to three years in prison.
But in a striking development, the Cook County Attorney’s Office dropped all charges against Smollett on Tuesday, noting the actor’s record of community service and his agreement to forfeit a $10,000 bond.