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FBI and Justice Department will review the Jussie Smollett case, says President Trump

Posted at 7:35 AM, Mar 28, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-28 07:47:04-04

(FOX News) President Trump announced Thursday that the FBI and Justice Department will review the “outrageous” decision to drop charges in the Jussie Smollett case.

The president weighed in as controversy mounted in Chicago and across the country over the abrupt dismissal of the charges that the “Empire” actor faked a hate crime, amid widespread speculation over what happened behind the scenes that led to the deal with Cook County prosecutors.

“FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago. It is an embarrassment to our Nation!” Trump tweeted.

The handling of the case has led to even deeper fractures in the Chicago political and law enforcement establishment.

With Mayor Rahm Emanuel fuming over the move to make the case go away, Chicago police came out swinging Wednesday and released the full 61-page investigative report in the alleged hate crime hoax. But Chicago police reportedly then became subject of a court order that barred them from releasing further files even though they were widely available online.

The release of the documents came one day after Cook County prosecutors dismissed a 16-count indictment against the actor, saying they had cut a deal with the TV star to perform two days of community service and forfeit his $10,000 bond to the city.

The move made it possible for Smollett’s attorneys to get his criminal case immediately sealed and wiped clean.

The dismissal of charges drew a swift backlash from the city’s mayor and police chief and raised questions about why Smollett was not forced to admit what prosecutors had said they could prove in court — that the entire episode was a publicity stunt.

Fox News’ Barnini Chakraborty contributed to this report.