Chicago PD, Mayor Emanuel Eviscerate State’s Attorney’s Office, Smollett in Presser (Video)

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago PD Superintendent Eddie Johnson held a barn burner of a press conference Tuesday afternoon in response to Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s unexpected dismissal of all state charges against Jussie Smollett in an “emergency” court hearing earlier in the day. It had already been reported that CPD was “livid” over the dismissal, but Emanuel’s fiery anger and pointed comments at both Smollett and the State’s Attorney’s office were surprisingly harsh but entirely warranted.

As Bonchie covered, in addition to the charges against Smollett being dropped, the indictment was axed and the investigative file in the case was sealed. This was all handled by a State’s Attorney who had previously recused herself from the case because of conflicts of interest.

As you’ll recall, in Superintendent Johnson’s press conference upon Smollett’s arrest he slammed Smollett’s actions, hard. This theme continued in Tuesday’s press conference as Johnson spoke about honor and integrity and left no doubt that he absolutely believes in his detectives’ work.

I think this city is still owed an apology. When I came on this job – I’ve been a cop now for about 31 years. When I came on this job, I came on with my honor and my integrity and my reputation. If someone accused me of doing anything that would circumvent that, then I would want my day in court, period, to clear my name.

I’ve heard that they wanted their day in court with TV cameras so America could know the truth. I know they chose to hide behind secrecy and broker a deal to circumvent the judicial system.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel then took his turn at the mic, and hoo-boy, was it good.

Not only do I support the hard work of our police officers and detective units, but I’d like to remind everybody that a Grand Jury indicted this individual based on only a piece of the evidence…so a Grand Jury actually brought the charges.

Emanuel recounted the financial and ethical costs to the city and to society as a whole.

Our financial costs, this $10,000 doesn’t even come close to what the city spent in resources to…gather all of the information that actually brought the indictment by the Grand Jury.

Second is what I would call the ethical cost. As a person who was in the House of Representatives when we tried to pass the Shepard legislation…to then use those very laws and the principles and values behind the Matthew Shepard hate crimes legislation to self-promote your career is a cost that comes to all of the individuals, gay men and women who will one day come forward and say they were the victim of a hate crime and will be doubted.

He did this all in the name of self-promotion.

There is no doubt where Rahm Emanuel stands on this – he believes it’s total corruption. And Rahm Emanuel knows about corruption.

This is a whitewash of justice. A Grand Jury could not have been clearer.

Where is the accountability in the system? You cannot have because of a person’s position one set of rules apply to them and another set of rules apply to everybody else.

There is no accountability in the system, full stop.

Johnson again made the point that the place to have his name cleared was in court, in public, where all of the information could be seen. You know, make the process transparent.

The apology comes from the person that did this. If you want to say you’re innocent of a situation, then you take your day in court. If someone falsely accused me, I would never hide behind a brokered deal in secrecy, period.

He threw some more shade in the direction of the State’s Attorney, saying that they weren’t given a heads up.

I don’t know what’s unusual for the State’s Attorney, but we found out about it when you did.

Prosecutors have their discretion, of course. We still have to work with the State’s Attorney’s office.  I’m sure we’re going to have some discussions with them…If [Smollett] wanted to clear his name, the way to do that was in a court of law so that everyone could see the evidence.

I stand by the facts of what we produced. If they want to dispute those facts, the place to do that is in court, not in secrecy.

Emanuel wasn’t quite done.

From top to bottom, this is not on the level – on the State’s Attorney’s office.

At the end of the day it’s Mr. Smollett that committed this false claim on two individuals and on the City….this sends an unambiguous message that there is no accountability. Mr. Smollett is still saying that he is innocent, still running down the Chicago Police Department. How dare him. How dare him.

Is there no decency in this man?

WATCH the press conference here:

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