Posted on 02/21/2019 7:50:14 AM PST by COUNTrecount
Defiant Jussie Smollet says he will FIGHT the false police report charges over 'staged' attack - as Empire producers consider suspending him, after security footage emerged of the Nigerian brothers buying ski masks
Jussie Smollett, 36, was criminally charged on Wednesday night in Chicago
He is charged with filing a false police report, a Class 4 felony
Police say that he hoaxed a hate crime assault on himself on January 29
His attorneys say he 'enjoys the presumption of innocence' and will fight charge
Empire's producers are reportedly considering removing Smollett from TV show
Brothers Ola and Abel Osundairo were earlier seen entering grand jury
Video of them buying ski masks and red hat day before the attack has emerged
Cops believe Smollett hired the duo to carry out a staged assault on himself
Charges carry a maximum sentence of three years and a fine of up to $25,000 FBI is also still investigating hateful letter that Smollett said he received
The Chicago Police Department announced on Wednesday night that the Cook County State's Attorney Office had approved criminal charges against 36-year-old Empire star.
His lawyers say he intends to 'mount an aggressive defense' against the class 4 felony, that could land him up to three years in prison if convicted.
Police suspect the actor, who is black and openly gay, staged a racist and homophobic assault against himself on January 29, which he claimed was carried out by white men who shouted 'this is MAGA country' as they put a noose around his neck.
As new of the charges against Smollett broke, Empire's producers were weighing whether to remove him from the Fox drama series, on which he portrays the musician Jamal Lyon, sources close to the show told Variety.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Sure, why not. He's got nothing to lose at this point.
His defense is going to be...
But...Donald Trump
LOL. Fight the Power Jussie!!!!!!!
Johnson said that Smollett sent himself the ransom-style letter that appeared prior to the Jan. 29 incident. "When that didn't work, Smollett paid $3,500 to stage this attack and drag Chicago's reputation through the mud in the process," he said, later confirming that police have seen the check Smollett wrote to pay off two men.
Chicago police chief says actor Jussie Smollett staged attack because he was dissatisfied with his salary on TV drama ‘Empire’
Smollett's current "Empire" salary pays him $65,000 per episode, according to HuffPost. There are approximately 18 episodes per season of the hit Fox show.
Johnson strongly condemned Smollett's alleged actions, calling it "shameful" that the actor "took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to advance his career."
"As a black man who spent his entire life living in the city of Chicago, I know the racial divide that exists here," Johnson said. "I know how hard it's been for our city and our nation to come together ... How can an individual who's been embraced by the city of Chicago turn around and slap everyone in this city in the face by making these false claims?"
In his original Jan. 29 report to police, Smollett said two men yelled racial and homophobic slurs as they attacked him with rope and bleach. When authorities arrived 45 minutes after the alleged attack, Smollett still had a rope around his neck, piquing some immediate police suspicion, according to TMZ.
The minor wounds Smollett showed police were "likely self-inflicted," Johnson said.
Smollett was arrested and put in police custody on Thursday. Felony charges against him were approved on Wednesday. The actor could face up to three years in prison if convicted.
Johnson also noted that while the case has received relentless scrutiny from the public -- "Celebrities, news commentators and even presidential candidates weighed in on something that was choreographed by an actor" -- the Chicago PD has not given this particular investigation more attentiveness than any other one.
"I wish the families of gun violence in this city got so much attention," Johnson said.
Kamala Harris was just following the democrat play book of “Never let a crisis go to waste.” So unless she was involved in the planning of this “lynching” to get her anti-lynching bill passed (which may include large amounts of money easily diverted to dem slush funds)all is normal.
EXCELLENT question!
Does this fall under the NEW Kamala/Booker “No Lynching Law”?
Unforeseen consequences of that law would be outstanding.......
I wonder if this is Smollett is telegraphing that he will spill the beans on some higher ups unless some more payola comes his way . . .
Queer > Black in the grievance ranks, I suppose.
It hurts all of the special interest communities of the democrat party.
And, when he does, it will be, not because he did anything wrong, but to close this unfortunate chapter and move on to defend the poor, the downtrodden, black LGBTQRZVUSGHLK community. He will never admit any guilt so that people will claim that he was forced to accept the deal.
Verified account @realDonaldTrump
.@JussieSmollett - what about MAGA and the tens of millions of people you insulted with your racist and dangerous comments!?
#MAGA
8:09 AM - 21 Feb 2019
Empire’s producers are reportedly considering removing Smollett from TV show . . .
Oh that’s bold of them. Quick action too
But if it had been a “White Nationalist” . . .well
Oops. How’s that Camel-uh?
I didn’t know who he was. Still don’t. Don’t care.
Doubling down ion stupid. Will the corrupt and inept DOJ charge him with a federal crime for committing a felony through the mail?
Umm... the memo for the check said it was for “training”. Yeah, that’s why they were wearing the red hats and ski masks, you see. So they could dress up as violent Trump supporters so he could train how to defend himself against those kind of attacks. It was completely unrelated to the violent Trump supporters he was actually attacked by a couple days later!!!
/sarc
Keep Hate alive Jussie. /s
Every day I write to her on Twitter demanding she apologize for flaming race relations as I told her I would when she first posted that.......
https://twitter.com/Hillary4Priso12/status/1090663755552342016
The assumption of black and black gay privilege is so overwhelming that none of the people involved in this hoax from Heels Up Harris to check writing idiot Smollett to Nigerian White Supremacists thought they would never face any consequences at all.
The very definition of privilege
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