The City of Chicago has sent a letter to Jussie Smollett's lawyers asking for $130,000 as reimbursement for the costs of the investigation into the Empire actor's alleged staged hate crime.
A letter sent to the actor makes the demand: “The City of Chicago and the Chicago Police Department take seriously those who make false statements to the police, thereby diverting resources from other investigations and undermining the criminal justice system. Over two dozen detectives and police officers participated in the investigation, ultimately spending weeks investigating your false claims, including a substantial number of overtime hours. … Ultimately, the Chicago police investigation revealed that you knowingly filed a false police report and had in fact orchestrated your attack.”
The letter threatens to prosecute Smollett if not reimbursed.
Smollett's team released a response: “It is the Mayor and the Police Chief who owe Jussie … an apology — for dragging an innocent man's character through the mud. Jussie has paid enough.”
