Actor Jussie Smollett, who staged a fake hate crime in 2019, avoids paying Chicago $120,000 for wasted police resources by donating just $50,000 to charity after his conviction was overturned on a legal technicality.
Key Takeaways
- Jussie Smollett has settled his lawsuit with Chicago by donating $50,000 to charity instead of paying $120,000 in police investigation costs
- The Illinois Supreme Court overturned Smollett’s 2021 conviction on technical grounds related to a prior non-prosecution agreement with prosecutor Kim Foxx
- Smollett reported a staged hate crime in 2019, falsely claiming attackers shouted “This is MAGA country” while placing a noose around his neck
- The settlement ends six years of litigation without Smollett admitting any wrongdoing despite overwhelming evidence he orchestrated the hoax
- Two Nigerian-American brothers testified that Smollett paid them $3,500 to stage the attack
Smollett Gets Sweetheart Deal After Conviction Overturned
The city of Chicago has agreed to a settlement with Jussie Smollett that allows the disgraced actor to donate $50,000 to a local arts charity instead of reimbursing taxpayers the estimated $130,000 spent investigating his fabricated hate crime. This settlement comes after the Illinois Supreme Court vacated Smollett’s 2021 conviction on five felony counts of disorderly conduct for filing false police reports. The court’s decision was based on technical double jeopardy grounds related to a controversial non-prosecution agreement Smollett previously reached with Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office in 2019.
“Jussie Smollett has reached a settlement with the City of Chicago that ends a years-long legal battle over a 2019 hate crime hoax, agreeing to donate $50,000 to a local nonprofit instead of paying six-figure restitution costs.” said Jussie Smollett.
The Staged Hate Crime That Wasted Police Resources
On January 29, 2019, Smollett reported to Chicago police that he had been attacked by two masked men who shouted racial and homophobic slurs, poured bleach on him, and placed a noose around his neck. He specifically claimed the attackers yelled “This is MAGA country,” attempting to link the supposed crime to supporters of President Trump. The initial report sparked national outrage and sympathy for Smollett, with numerous celebrities and politicians rushing to condemn the alleged hate crime before any investigation was completed.
The Chicago Police Department assigned over two dozen detectives to the high-profile case, diverting resources from investigating actual violent crimes in a city plagued by shootings and homicides. Within weeks, their investigation revealed that Smollett had orchestrated the entire incident. Evidence showed he had paid two Nigerian-American brothers, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, who were extras on his TV show “Empire,” $3,500 to stage the attack. Surveillance footage, phone records, and the brothers’ testimony confirmed the hoax.
Legal Maneuvers and a Controversial Outcome
Smollett’s case has been a rollercoaster of controversial legal decisions. Initially charged with 16 felony counts in February 2019, all charges were suddenly dropped by State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office in March 2019 in exchange for community service and forfeiture of a $10,000 bond. This decision sparked outrage and allegations of preferential treatment. A special prosecutor was appointed, resulting in new charges and eventually a conviction in December 2021. Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail, 30 months probation, and ordered to pay $120,106 in restitution.
“The ruling has nothing to do with Mr. Smollett’s innocence. The Illinois Supreme Court did not find any error with the overwhelming evidence presented at trial that Mr. Smollett orchestrated a fake hate crime and reported it to the Chicago Police Department as a real hate crime, or the jury’s unanimous verdict that Mr. Smollett was guilty of five counts of felony disorderly conduct. In fact, Mr. Smollett did not even challenge the sufficiency of the evidence against him in his appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court,” said Dan Webb, Special Prosecutor
Settlement Allows Both Sides to Move On
The current settlement allows Smollett to make a $50,000 donation to the Building Better Futures Center for the Arts in Chicago instead of paying the $120,000 in investigation costs. Notably, the agreement does not require Smollett to admit any wrongdoing, despite the overwhelming evidence against him. The settlement is pending judicial approval and will officially end six years of litigation between Smollett and the city. Chicago taxpayers will ultimately absorb the costs of the extensive police investigation into what evidence showed was a completely fabricated crime.
This settlement represents yet another example of a connected Hollywood elite seemingly receiving preferential treatment in our justice system. Despite orchestrating a divisive hoax that wasted valuable police resources and attempted to further inflame racial tensions for personal gain, Smollett has escaped meaningful consequences. The case stands as a stark reminder of how certain privileged individuals can manipulate the media and exploit identity politics while actual victims of violent crime in Chicago continue to wait for justice.
