Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is calling for the continuation of a criminal investigation into disgraced “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett for allegedly faking a hate crime against himself.
Emanuel also emphasized that Smollett is walking free only “because he’s an actor.” (RELATED: Harris Says She’s ‘Completely Confused’ Over Smollett Charges)
“This looks like because he’s an actor — a person of influence — he got treated differently than anybody else,” Emanuel told ABC’s “Good Morning America” Wednesday after being asked if he concerned the state’s widely criticized decision to drop all charges could be called “corrupt.”
FULL INTERVIEW: @ChicagosMayor speaks with our @GStephanopoulos about the investigation regarding “Empire” star Jussie Smollett. https://t.co/BHjpbroTWb pic.twitter.com/Th5RFLLLfx
— Good Morning America (@GMA) March 27, 2019
Smollett was facing 16 charges for allegedly falsely claiming to be the victim of a hate crime that included two unidentified men using racial epithets and anti-gay language. Earlier stories also said bleach was poured on his clothes, a rope wound round his neck and he was told Chicago was “MAGA country.”
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel talks to “Good Morning America” about the Jussie Smollett decision, March 27, 2019. ABC News screencapture via Twitter.
Chicago police were confident in their case against Smollett and the prosection’s decision to let Smollett go because of his supposed community service and willingness to relinquish a $10,000 bail bond reportedly infuriated the Chicago Police superintendent and has obviously angered the mayor.
“You have the state’s attorney’s office saying he’s not exonerated; he actually did commit this hoax. He’s saying he’s innocent,” Emanuel said Monday before charges against Smollett were dropped. “They better get their stories straight. This is actually making fools of all of us.” (RELATED: Outraged Fraternal Order Of Police Demands Investigation Into Smollett Case)
“And the fact is, he’s walking around with no sense of contrition, no sense of remorse, and the fact is also the state’s attorney is saying he’s actually guilty of this hoax, and he’s walking around saying, ‘No, I’m innocent.'”
Emanuel wondered how people would feel if he, as a Jewish mayor, decided to paint a Nazi swastika on his house in order to solicit support.
“Do you think I would get away with two days at the Anti-Defamation League as my community service? Really? This is not on the level,” Emanuel said.
Actor Jussie Smollett waves as he follows his attorney to the microphones after his court appearance at Leighton Courthouse on March 26, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
“Let’s get to the bottom of this. Let’s find out what happened,” Emanuel reiterated. “Especially [in] a city that embraced not only him as an actor but more importantly the values of being whoever you are, whoever you love, whatever your background is, you have a home here. He took that, turned it around and tried to self-promote himself.”