Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel released a fiery statement in response to the Cook County prosecutor's decision to dismiss 16 charges against Jussie Smollett. The actor was accused of staging a hate crime against himself and filing a false police report.
Emanuel said, “At the end of the day, it’s Mr. Smollett that committed this false claim,” in a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
Prosecutors announced their decision to dismiss all charges against the actor only weeks after he was indicted on 16 felony conducts for allegedly filing a false police report. "This was a whitewash of justice," the mayor said.
He compared the prosecution’s decision to the recent indictment where dozens of rich parents allegedly paid for their children to be enrolled into elite universities. “Where is the accountability in the system?” he asked. “You cannot have, because of a person’s position, one set of rules apply to them and another set of rules applying to everybody else.”
Mayor Emanuel isn’t the only public figure in Chicago denouncing Smollett’s dismissal. Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson shared similar sentiments. “Is there no decency in this man?” he said during a press conference.
“Do I think justice was served? No," Johnson said. "I think this city is still owed an apology."
Comments from Mayor Emanuel and Superintendent Johnson come after an emergency hearing where the prosecutor’s decided to dismiss each of the charges stemming from the actor's arrest last month.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the prosecutor’s office released a statement detailing the dismissal. "After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollett’s volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case."
The actor, who has maintained his innocence, said, "I have been consistent and truthful since day one," during a press conference following the emergency hearing.
