Chicago police officers are reportedly furious and feel undermined after criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were suspiciously dropped on Tuesday, March 26, 2019. The president of Chicago’s police union voiced strong disapproval, suggesting the move validates their request for federal authorities to investigate Cook County’s top prosecutor, Kimberly Foxx.
Kevin Graham, President of Chicago’s Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), told Fox News that the prosecutor’s decision was highly unusual, especially considering what he described as the strong case meticulously built by the city’s police department. He also noted that the union received no advance notice of the announcement. “Charges were dropped, and we certainly are upset,” Graham stated. “I’m upset about it. I have not received a satisfactory answer about what is going on.”
Earlier that Tuesday, the Cook County State Attorney’s office announced that all 16 felony counts against Smollett, 36, were dropped. Adding to the controversy, the record in the case was sealed, raising further questions about the circumstances surrounding the decision. Transparency seemed to be lacking.
Smollett had originally told police that he was attacked by two masked men while walking home from a Chicago Subway sandwich shop around 2 a.m. on January 29. The actor, who is black and openly gay, claimed the masked men beat him, made derogatory comments, and yelled “This is MAGA country” – an apparent reference to President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.” The subsequent investigation, however, yielded what many believed to be overwhelming evidence to charge Smollett with filing a false police report, including statements from alleged co-conspirators.
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Last week, prior to the charges being dropped, the FOP formally requested that federal authorities investigate Cook County Prosecutor Kimberly Foxx, who had previously recused herself from the Smollett investigation. “Graham made the request to U.S. Attorney John Lausch in a March 15 letter concerning reports that Ms. Foxx attempted to influence the police investigation at the behest of an attorney and family members of Jussie Smollett,” the union stated in a March 18 entry on their blog.
Foxx had previously asked Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson to allow the FBI to investigate Smollett’s alleged attack after the former chief of staff to former first lady Michelle Obama reportedly contacted Foxx to inform her that Smollett’s family had concerns about the probe. This contact led to perceptions of undue preferential treatment to avoid prosecution following an alleged attempt at “victimhood,” which many felt exacerbated racial tension. Hypocritical Injustice was perceived by some.
The latest developments in the case highlight “why we wanted an investigation in the first place,” Graham told Fox News. “I think we were right on target.” He added, “I can’t think of a better way to make sure that the information doesn’t come to the light of day than by dropping the charges and making sure all the records are sealed.”
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Then Chicago Police Commissioner Eddie Johnson and Mayor Rahm Emanuel also publicly criticized the decision to dismiss the charges. The Chicago Police Union has been vocal about their concerns.