Jussie Smollett: Chicago Mayor Calls Dropped Charges A "Whitewash Of Justice"

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Actor Jussie Smollett after his court appearance at Leighton Courthouse on March 26, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. This morning in court it was announced that all charges were dropped against the actor.
Rahm Emanuel calls out Jussie Smollett and the prosecutors after the actor's charges are dropped.

Chicago PD superintendent, Eddie Johnson, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel held their own press conference after news broke out that Jussie Smollett's criminal case had been dropped. Although the actor's maintained that he's been telling the truth from the jump, both Johnson and Emanuel expressed their frustrations over the prosecutor's decision.

"Do I think justice was served? No. What do I think justice is? I think this city is still owed an apology," Chicago Police Eddie Johnson told reporters before suggesting that there was a deal made behind closed doors. "I've heard that they wanted their day in court with TV cameras so America could know the truth and know they tried to hide behind secrecy to broker a deal to circumvent the judicial system."

Emanuel blatantly called out Smollett and the prosecutors on the case, insisting the Empire actor is guilty of the crimes he was charged with. 

"Mr. Smollett is still saying that he is innocent," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. "Still running down the Chicago Police Department. How dare him? How dare him? This is not the superintendent's word against his, the grand jury came to a conclusion, as did the state's attorney's office." 

Emanuel continued to say that Smollett used the laws of the hate crime legislation to elevate his career.

"And he did this all in the name of self-promotion. He used the laws of the hate crime legislation that all of us have put on the books -- to stand up for the values that embody what we believe in. This is a whitewash of justice," Emanuel said. "The grand jury could not have been clearer."


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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