Special prosecutor investigating initial case against Jussie Smollett says state attorneys office engaged in substantial abuses – CNN

Foxx had three phone calls with Jurnee Smollett, multiple days after the state attorney was made aware that the actor was under investigation, the report said. She had falsely characterized those contacts to the media as occurring “while Mr. Smollett was a victim,” the report contends, despite being aware he had become a suspect.

An Illinois county judge signed off Monday on the release of the 59-page report from special prosecutor Daniel Webb’s investigation, which was concluded on August 17, 2020. Webb had requested the release, following Smollett’s conviction earlier this month.

In a statement, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO) said it disagreed with the findings of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

“Though State’s Attorney Kim Foxx was not involved with the initial disposition of the Smollett case, she and the CCSAO remain steadfast that the office acted within its broad prosecutorial discretion. A prosecutor’s discretion is as broad as any in the law, and differences of opinion as to how a case was handled do not signify an abuse of discretion. Finally, it is important to emphasize that the OSP did not find any criminal activity or undue influence on the part of the State’s Attorney or the CCSAO, the statement said.

Judge Michael Toomin had appointed Webb on August 23, 2019, to determine whether the former “Empire” actor should be further prosecuted after the initial punishment was believed by many to be “very favorable to Smollett,” according to Webb’s report. He was also asked to investigate if any person or office involved in the initial case “engaged in wrongdoing” or committed criminal offenses.

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