NEVER SCARED! Jussie Smollett's Lawyer Claps Back At City Of Chicago After They Threatened To Sue Him For $130K

The City of Chicago threatened to sue Jussie Smollett for over $130,000 for the man hours they put in investigating the now-dismissed hate crime. Jussie's attorney is responding: Bring it! More inside...

Jussie Smollett may have gotten all 16 charges brought up against him dropped, but the drama with the city of Chicago isn't over yet.

The City of Chicago's Law Department recently announced they would be filing a civil suit against the "Empire" actor since he "refused to reimburse" the city for the cost of investigating his controversial case. They gave him a one-week deadline to pay up and since he hasn't coughed up the cash, they're threatening to sue for $130,106 for the extra hours put into investigating what police say was a staged attack.

The city noted they're suing under a municipal code that allows them to impose fines on people who make "false statements" to authorities, thus wasting time and money. The city could end up collecting up to three times the amount of damages the city sustains as a result of the violation, which in this case would be $390,000. Yikes.

In a letter dated April 4th - the same day the city announced it was drafting a lawsuit against Jussie - famed attorney Mark Geragos wrote the YBF actor will "not be intimidated" by what he calls "threats that were made maliciously." He warned if Chicago follows through on suing the "Empire" actor, he'll demand sworn testimony from Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Chicago Police superintendent Eddie Johnson, and others. He also said he'll demand the "entire investigation file."

"In light of their apparent vested interest in this matter, we are confident that Mayor Emanuel and Superintendent Johnson will not object to providing testimony under oath," Geragos wrote in the letter.

"As you know, neither the threats in your letter, nor the defamatory statements they rely upon, are afforded First Amendment protections," Geragos wrote. "Moreover, your unprecedented attempt to file a civil lawsuit against Mr. Smollett...is unconstitutional as applied to Mr. Smollett."

The city's law department said it's drafting a civil complaint in the Circuit Court of Cook County. The city said it will pursue the full measure of damages allowed under the ordinance.

"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 at a news conference last week.

Mayor Emanuel and the police chief feel Jussie damaged Chicago's reputation for being a place that welcomes people from all walks of life.

When the crime was first reported by Jussie (on Jan. 29th), he was treated as a victim, but as the investigation continued, there was suspicion that he  was not being truthful. He ended up getting charged with 16 felony counts of lying to the police. He was arrested, booked and released on a $10,000 bond.

Soon after, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx's office dropped all of the charged without explaining why. In exchange for having the charges dropped, Jussie forfeited his $10K bond and agreed to community service. What exactly happened in court before the charges were dropped remain unknown since the case has been sealed.

This week, Jussie's co-star Taraji P. Henson said she hasn't heard anything about him being kicked off the show and that he will be returning. She said she talks to him daily and he's doing well.

Jussie is seemingly getting back into the swing of things. This week, he was spotted taking trips to the post office in Van Nuys. He had a woman stand in the passport line for him for over an hour to save his spot before it was his turn at the counter. He was likely getting a new one since he turned his over to law enforcement after he was indicted.

 

EXTRAS:

1. "Empire" star Terrence Howard reportedly owes $140,000 in back taxes. STORY

Photos: AP Photo/Paul Beaty

source: theybf