Jussie Smollett addresss the press March 26 following the announcement that charges against him had been droppped; Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images(CHICAGO) — Kim Foxx, the Cook County, Illinois state’s attorney whose office made the decision to drop all charges against Empire actor Jussie Smollett for allegedly staging a hate crime attack against himself, has herself been receiving death threats, according to her office.
“We can confirm that the State’s Attorney has received threats to her personal safety and security, a number of which have contained racially charged language,” reads a statement released Monday by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, according to Chicago ABC affiliate WLS.
Smollett was indicted by a grand jury March 8 on 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report in connection with the alleged January 29 attack, which investigators say he staged. Smollett has insisted throughout the investigation that the attack wasn’t staged.
It was announced March 26 that First Assistant State’s Attorney Joe Magats had dismissed the charges against Smollett.
Texts from Foxx, released last week and which were sent during the Smollett investigation — from which Foxx had recused herself — show she felt the charges against Smollett were excessive.
“[W]hen people accuse us of overcharging cases… 16 counts on a class 4 [felony] becomes exhibit A,” Foxx wrote, in part. She also compared Smollett’s case to that of indicted alleged sex offender, R&B singer R. Kelly.
“Pedophile with 4 victims 10 counts,” texted Foxx, referring to Kelly. “Washed up celeb who lied to cops, 16. On a case eligible for deferred prosecution I think it’s indicative of something we should be looking at generally. Just because we can charge something doesn’t mean we should.”
In a statement last Friday, Foxx wrote, in part, “I am aware of recent editorials and commentaries urging the State’s Attorney’s Office to comment further on the circumstances surrounding the Jussie Smollett case. …I am committed to assuring a transparent review of how this office functioned in the Smollett case.”
The statement further notes that the Cook County Office of the Independent Inspector General has agreed to perform a review of how the State’s Attorney’s Office handled the Smollett case, during which time, Foxx said, “I do not intend to comment publicly on the Smollett case.”
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