Special prosecutor in Jussie Smollett investigation finds Kim Foxx's office mishandled case

The special prosecutor tasked with probing the state attorney’s handling of the Jussie Smollett investigation in Chicago has ruled the office abused its discretion in the case against the actor, but did nothing criminal.

In a statement on the conclusions of his investigation, special prosecutor Dan Webb sharply criticized the handling of the Smollett case by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and her assistant prosecutors, saying their handling was marked by disarray and misleading statements.

JUSSIE SMOLLETT’S ALLEGED ATTACKERS NOW SAY THEY WILL TESTIFY: WE WILL 'CONTINUE TO TELL THE TRUTH'

In March last year, Foxx’s office surprised and angered many in Chicago by dropping charges that accused the former “Empire” actor of staging an alleged racist and homophobic attack against himself. Smollett is still adamant that the attack was real and wasn’t a publicity hoax.

JUSSIE SMOLLETT'S SISTER, JURNEE, SAYS BROTHER'S SCANDAL HAS BEEN 'F–KING PAINFUL'

A brief statement released by Foxx’s office later Monday said it welcomed aspects of Webb’s findings, including that no one on the staff committed a crime and that no undue outside influences affected the prosecutors' decisions regarding Smollett.

But it took issue with the broader depiction of an office that didn't follow proper procedures and that was quick to mislead, saying it “categorically rejects … characterizations of its exercises of prosecutorial discretion and private or public statements as ‘abuses of discretion’ or false statements to the public.”

Webb’s findings announced Monday came after charges were restored against Smollett by the same special prosecutor in February. Webb said at the time that dropping the charges against Smollett was unjustified, including because the evidence against Smollett seemed overwhelming and because he was not required to admit that the attack was a hoax.

The state’s attorney’s office’s “decision-makers” who worked the initial Smollett case “did not learn of any new evidence between when the [Cook County State's Attorney's Office] filed a 16-count indictment against Mr. Smollett on March 7, 2019, when the CCSAO believed it had a strong case against Mr. Smollett, and March 26, 2019, when the entire indictment was dismissed,” the prosecutors’ office found.

Both “decision-makers" - Acting State's Attorney Joseph Magats and Lead Prosecutor Risa Lanier - had “significantly and meaningfully divergent explanations” for how the decision was made, the findings said.

In further outlining what the special prosecutor identified as Foxx’s office’s first finding of abuse of discretion, Webb adds that Smollett was neither required to plead guilty to any crimes nor admit any wrongdoing. In fact, as Webb’s report states, “following the court proceedings on March 26, 2019, Mr. Smollett publicly stated he was completely innocent.”

https://www.foxnews.com/us/special-prosecutor-jussie-smollett-investigation-kim-foxxs-mishandled-case.amp