The money is to cover the costs of police officers, including overtime hours used on his recently dropped case.
Jussie Smollett has been ordered to pay $130,000 (£99,000) by the city of Chicago to cover the costs of his recent criminal investigation.
The 36-year-old Empire star pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of disorderly conduct at a hearing earlier this month, which followed his arrest in February for filing a false police report. Smollett had been accused of lying to police about an alleged racist and homophobic attack he said he was the victim of on January 29, 2019.
After having always claimed that he was an innocent victim in the case, all criminal charges against Smollett were dropped by prosecutors earlier this week (March 26). But according to CBS journalist Charlie De Mar, Smollett is now being ordered to cover the costs of police officers, including overtime hours used on the case.
De Mar shared a letter from the city of Chicago to Smollett titled ‘Demand Letter-Smollett False Statement’. It requests that he pay $130,106.15 in the next seven days in the form of a “money order or certified cashier’s check payable to the ‘City of Chicago.’”
Letter from City to Jussie Smollett titled
“Demand Letter-Smollett False Statement”
Read here: pic.twitter.com/vvcI2pNWAR
— Charlie De Mar (@CharlieDeMar) March 28, 2019
In the letter, police continually accuse Smollett of faking the attack on himself.
“As part of the investigation, Chicago police reviewed video and physical evidence and conducted several interviews, expending resources that could have been used for other investigations,” it reads.
“Ultimately, the Chicago police investigation revealed that you knowingly filed a false police report and had in fact orchestrated your own attack.”
De Mar also shared a statement put out by the actor’s defence team saying the mayor of Chicago and the city’s police chief owe him an apology, adding that “Jussie has paid enough.”
More from Jussie Smollet team.
STATEMENT FROM JUSSIE SMOLLETT’S DEFENSE TEAM REGARDING MAYOR EMMANUEL’S STATEMENT
“It is the Mayor and the Police Chief who owe Jussie – owe him an apology – for dragging an innocent man’s character through the mud. Jussie has paid enough.”
— Charlie De Mar (@CharlieDeMar) March 28, 2019
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has called for the Department of Justice to “review” Jussie Smollet’s case after the actor had all charges against him dropped.
Responding to the news on Twitter, Trump tweeted yesterday (March 28): “FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago.”
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