Chicago is not done with Jussie Smollett. Now famous for allegedly staging a faux hate crime and then receiving reprieve under incredibly questionable circumstances, Smollett was sued by the City of Chicago Thursday after he failed to reimburse the city some $130,000 for police overtime spent investigating the attack.
Not only is the city seeking the $130,105.15 Smollett failed to pay, but are requesting, “$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 from ABC Chicago:
The city of Chicago has filed a lawsuit against actor Jussie Smollett for the cost of the overtime Chicago police spent investigating an attack they say Smollett staged. The City of Chicago’s Law Department filed the suit after Smollett failed to meet a city-demanded deadline to pay more than $130,000 into that allegedly staged attack. City attorneys write in the suit, “Defendant knew his attackers and orchestrated the purported attack himself. Later, when police confronted him with evidence, he still refused to disclose his involvement.” The lawsuit was filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County and 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.” “They’ve got a case on the face of it,” said ABC7 Legal Analyst Gil Soffer. “Whether they win is a different story, but they’ve got a case.” Soffer said through the process called discovery the public could see a lot. “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.” The city previously said it intended to file the suit, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel offered his suggestion for how Smollett should pay the city back. “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.
Brutal.
The complaint gives a step by step timeline and includes the numerous instances in which Smollett allegedly misled investigators and withheld pertinent information, like the fact that he knew his “attackers.”
Full complaint here:
City of Chicago v. Jussie Smollett by Legal Insurrection on Scribd
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