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A former Michelle Obama associate refused to receive a subpoena on Wednesday because of her contacts with Chicago Attorney Kim Foxx in the Jussie Smollett case.
The subpoena was issued by former Illinois District Judge Sheila O'Brien as part of her request for a special prosecutor to investigate the treatment by the Cook County Attorney Smollett's criminal record, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
O'Brien wishes that Tina Tchen, former Chief of Staff of the former First Lady, produce "all documents, notes, phone records, texts, recordings recorded or received at any time, concerning [Tchen’s] conversations with Kim Foxx regarding Jussie Smollett "during a May 31 hearing.
But Chen would not accept this assignment, according to the process server.
Chen, a lawyer in Chicago, intervened in the Smollett case by informing Foxx that a family member of the Empire star had "concerns" about the investigation of his office, had previously reported the Sun-Times.
Chen contacted Foxx on February 1, three days after Smollett told the police that he was the victim of a homophobic and racist beating near his apartment.
Foxx then contacted Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson to ask him to hand over the investigation to the FBI before recusing himself.
Smollett was eventually charged with 16 counts of allegedly organizing the hate crime for hoax – but the charges were abruptly withdrawn in a surprise move by prosecutors.
Chen denied trying to influence the case.
"Shortly after Mr. Smollett reported his assault as a friend of the family, I contacted Cook County Lawyer Kim Foxx, whom I also know from having worked together," he said. she said in a March statement. "My only activity was to put the Attorney General in charge of the case in contact with the family of an alleged victim who was worried about the manner in which the investigation was described in public."
At the same time, a judge should decide Thursday whether the sealed cases in the Smollett case will be made public, reported ABC Chicago.
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