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CHICAGO (AP) – A Chicago judge on Friday appointed a special prosecutor to examine the reasons why prosecutors abruptly dropped the lawsuit against the actor Jussie Smollett, accusing him of noting that he had been arrested. having organized a racist and anti-gay attack against himself.
The appointment of former US attorney Dan Webb by Judge Michael Toomin, of Cook County, suggests that the special prosecutor could bring new charges against the former actor of "the Empire." Smollett, who is black and gay, argues that the January attack was real and was not organized.
In February, the Cook County Attorney's Office indicted Smollett of 16 heads of disorderly behavior for allegedly orchestrating the incident. However, he dropped all charges a month later without much explanation, angering officials and police.
Sheila O. Brien, a former state appeals judge, called for the appointment of a special prosecutor, which led to Toomin's surprise decision last June to justify his appointment.
Smollett told the police that he was returning home early on January 29 when two masked men approached him, inflicted racist and homophobic slurs, beat him and passed him the loop. in the neck before escaping. He added that his attackers, at least one of whom was white, told him that he was in a "MAGA country" – a reference to President Donald Trump's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again ".
A few weeks later, the authorities claimed that Smollett had paid $ 3,500 to two black friends to help organize the attack, dissatisfied with his acting pay for "Empire" and wanting to make advertising for his career.
In its June ruling, Toomin hinted that county attorney, Kim Foxx, had mismanaged the Smollett case by appointing one of the main aides to oversee the case after she has recused herself.
Foxx had been in contact with a relative of Smollett and the former First Lady's chief of staff, Michelle Obama, had contacted her on behalf of the Smollett family. Foxx explained at the time that she was recusing herself to avoid "even the perception of a conflict of interest".
In its decision, Toomin stated that it had no problem with Foxx's challenge in February, but that it should have included a request for the establishment of a special prosecutor. He added that she was not allowed to pass on this information to anyone in her office, which would amount to appointing her own special prosecutor.
Foxx said that Smollett had not been treated differently from the thousands of other defendants in lower level cases, whose charges were also dropped. Foxx was also publicly wondering if her darkness had anything to do with the criticism she had received.
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