Mike Norris, Co-Editor, The American Dossier
Less than three weeks after being indicted by a grand jury, the Cook County State Attorney’s Office announced that they would drop all sixteen felony charges against actor Jussie Smollett. Under the terms of the agreement, Smollett will forfeit the $10,000 bond he posted when he was arrested.
Smollett also performed eighteen hours of community service with Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. A letter to the State Attorney’s Office from Jackson stated that Smollett worked “several hours” in the groups store, where he “met with staff and gave his suggestions.” The letter also stated the “Empire” actor spent “a significant part of his time” “encouraging” the group’s production crew.
The latest development in the case has Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Barack Obama’s former Chief of Staff, pitted against attorney Tina Tchen, Michelle Obama’s former Chief of Staff. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Tchen contacted Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx in an attempt to influence the case. Facing backlash following the account of her effort, Tchen said that she was not attempting to impact the outcome of the investigation.
Tchen and Smollett’s family, however, have a long history.
Smollett’s sisters, Jurnee and Jazz, met Tchen while working on the 2008 Obama Presidential Campaign. After the election, Jurnee visited the White House as a guest of Tchen. More recently, the two were photographed together at South by Southwest and again at the United State of Women Summit in Los Angeles.
While Smollett’s legal team characterized the development as proof of his innocence, the matter is far from settled.
Emanuel appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” where he sharply criticized the decision to drop the charges. "This is actually making a fool of all of us," he said. "There's a sense here that you have one rule applying to an individual because he's an actor, somebody with a certain amount of status, as being treated different.” Emanuel continued, "I'm reminded of the opening scenes of Hamlet when the soldier, Marcelis says, something is rotten in Denmark, it doesn't add up.”
On Tuesday, the Fraternal Order of Police called for an investigation into Foxx’s “interference” in Smollett’s case. Representative Jim Durkin, the Illinois House Republican Leader, called on Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul to review the handing of the case, saying the decision sets a “dangerous precedent for high profile cases.”
On Wednesday, Foxx stated that the decision to drop charges against Smollett is not an exoneration. "We believe that the facts were sufficient to charge and try Mr. Smollett for the crimes." She continued, "Based on the facts and the evidence that was presented in the charging decision that was made by this office, this office believed that they could prove him guilty."
Emanuel is now considering suing Smollett to recoup money Chicago wasted on its investigation. The Chicago mayor says he wants to recoup close to $150,000 that was spent on the Smollett case.
Smollett is also still under investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The federal investigation surrounds a potentially self-penned, hate-filled letter that arrived on the “Empire” set, prior to the false report. If convicted of the charges, Smollett could face 5-20 years in prison. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is working closely with our law enforcement partners on this investigation,” investigators stated. “We are unable to provide any additional comment at this time.”
After serving as an Airborne Infantryman in the 82nd Airborne Division, Mike attended Florida State University, where he received his Bachelors Degree in Political Science and George Washington University, where he received his Masters in Political Management.
Since 2004, Mike has worked in the Florida Senate, where he was one of only two Chief’s of Staff under 30 and in the Michigan Senate, where he served as the Legislative Aide to the Assistant Minority Floor Leader. The 2018 election cycle was Mike’s eighth as a Political Consultant.
Mike previously served as the Secretary and Vice President of the Tampa Bay Young Republicans, Regional Vice Chair for the Florida Federated Young Republicans and attended the 2012 Republican National Convention as an Alternate Delegate. He currently lives in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, with his rescue Pit Bull, Ike.