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The City of Chicago gave Jussie Smollett a week to re-pay the $130K debt they claim he owes them for investigating his alleged hoax of a hate crime. Since he didn't pay up, they filed a civil suit that could unseal the records of his criminal case.
He's laughing it up on vacay in Hawaii though. Deets inside.
The City of Chicago wants their coins from Jussie Smollett. Chicago Mayor Emmanuel and Chicago PD rose hell about all umpteen criminal charges against Jussie being dropped in the case surrounding his allegedly staged hate crime. So, the city followed through on their threat to sue him for their time and money spent since Jussie did not meet their demands to repay them.
City attorneys write in the suit:
“(Smollett) made this statement despite knowing that the Osundairo Brothers are not white-skinned,” the suit says. “By providing this false description, (Smollett) purposely misled the CPD officers to believe that his attackers were white, when, in fact, (Smollett) knew that his attackers were the Osundairo brothers.”
In adds: “At no point did Defendant inform police that he knew his attackers or recognized their appearances or voices.”
The lawsuit - filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County Thursday - seeks money "included, but not limited to $130,105.15." The suit also asks Smollett be found liable to the city for $1,000 "for each false statement he made to the city, in addition to three times the amount of the damages that the city sustained, as well as litigation and collection costs, and attorneys' fees."
More importantly, because this is a civil case, sealed records and other evidence can be re-opened and re-introduced during this trial. This means there's a chance we, the people, get to finally find out all the evidence that the prosecution & grand jury originally received that caused them to file criminal charges in the first place. ABC's legal analyst, Gil Soffer, revealed:
"Lawyers for the city will get evidence that exists," Soffer explained. "They'll get tape recordings. They'll get video surveillance, they'll get phone records and they'll take depositions. And transcripts will be made of those depositions. And then if it goes through to a trial we'll see all of this come out in the open. You'll see Jussie Smollett take the stand and testify."
"Given that he doesn't feel any sense of contrition and remorse, my recommendation is that when he writes the check, in the memo section, he can put the words, 'I'm accountable for the hoax,'" Mayor Rahm Emanuel said two weeks ago.
State's Attorney Kim Foxx has been raked over the coals for allowing Jussie to suddenly go free with no real explanation as to why. But the city of Chicago isn't so quick to forgive. They want their pound of flesh.
As for how Jussie's taking the news, he's currently living his best life on family vacay in Hawaii. Pics surfaced of him, his sisters and nieces relaxing in Bermuda shorts and swimsuits, unbothered.
Jussie's "Empire" co-star Taraji P. Henson also recently confirmed he will be returning for the new season, despite him being written out of the last couple episodes of the current season.
Also, those Osundairo brothers - who were paid to "train" Jussie and bulk up his body mass - who were originally the main suspects named as Jussie's "attackers" - still haven't faced any criminal liability. They have been busy selling their training sessions and meal plans on Instagram. Must be nice.
Photo: Shutterstock.com
