Nat'l Assoc. for Prosecutors Just Reamed Kim Foxx over Outrageous Handling of Smollett Case
Social justice activists in Chicago may have hoped that dropping the charges against Jussie Smollett would be the end of it, but they may have just catapulted themselves into an even deeper scandal.
Smollett, of course, is the black and gay actor who claimed that he was lynched by Trump-supporting thugs on the frozen streets of Chicago. That story quickly fell apart, and police soon charged the actor with perpetrating a hate crime hoax.
Despite a grand jury indicting him on 16 felony counts based on the evidence, Smollett walked free after all charges were dropped Tuesday.
The reasoning behind ending prosecution for the case has stayed mostly a mystery, but there are indications that Kim Foxx, the Democrat-connected prosecutor in the case, made a political decision to let Smollett go.
That move has sparked outrage at a bipartisan level rarely seen these days. According to CBS News, even Rahm Emanuel, the liberal mayor of Chicago, was angered by the decision.
The Democrat blasted the decision to drop the charges as “a whitewash of justice” and demanded that the actor re-pay the city for the investigation, all but confirming that he knows Smollett is guilty.
Now Foxx is facing a wall of criticism as well. On Wednesday, the National District Attorneys Association released an open letter slamming the Chicago prosecutor for how she handled — or mishandled — the case.
National District Attorneys Assoc releases statement critical of Kim Foxx “prosecutors should not take advice from politically connected friends” #Smollett pic.twitter.com/Lks3Z4nk5p
— Mary Ann Ahern (@MaryAnnAhernNBC) March 28, 2019
“The case in Chicago illustrates a point that must be discussed in an effort to ensure fairness in our criminal justice system: the rich are treated differently, the politically connected receive favorable treatment,” the scathing letter stated.
The NDAA is no small group. It assists some 2,700 prosecutors around the United States, and is a major voice on legal issues and professionalism among prosecuting attorneys.
Although careful not to name Foxx specifically, NDAA’s condemnation was clearly aimed at her, more bad news for a prosecutor who has lost the support of the police, the mayor and much of the public.
The organization’s letter went on to scold the prosecutor for claiming that she had recused herself from the case, only for her office to turn around and decide to drop the charges. The prosecutor seems to be talking out both sides of her mouth on this point, bizarrely claiming that she didn’t actually recuse herself.
But the larger point is about justice in 2019, a time when a more lenient set of laws seems to apply if someone is famous.
“NDAA rejects these inequities as they are antithetical to our founding principles of justice: that no one is above the law,” the organization continued.
This is perhaps the most interesting twist in the Smollett case yet: While the actor insisted that he was an oppressed victim, it looks more and more that he enjoys vast privilege. This isn’t because of his skin color, but rather because he’s famous and politically connected.
“This is an example of justice for the rich and powerful versus justice for the poor,” CBS News legal analyst Rikki Klieman said.
“This is totally not typical,” Klieman continued. “I don’t see it as any different from the rich people who got their kids into college by untoward means because they had money and power and what you have here.”
If liberals really want to have a national discussion about true privilege in America, maybe it’s time — but it probably won’t go the way they want.
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