While the Chicago trial for Empire star Jussie Smollett may be over, it appears the fallout from the case is still running its course.
Per Newsweek, the City of Chicago is now seeking $130,000 from the actor and musician in an attempt to recoup the expenses related to “resources used [while] investigating allegations that have now been ruled to be false.” The filing also requests that Smollett be ordered to pay for “any arising legal bills Chicago would incur in lawsuits against him.”
A statement from the City of Chicago’s Director of Public Affairs reads:
The City filed a civil lawsuit against Jussie Smollett to recover costs incurred by the Chicago Police Department investigating what the City believed to be Smollett’s false police reports that he was a victim of a hate crime. While using a different standard of proof, the jury’s finding of guilt convicting Jussie Smollett of criminal charges stemming from the incident confirms that the City was correct in bringing its civil lawsuit. The City intends to continue to pursue its lawsuit to hold Smollett accountable for his unlawful actions and to demand that he compensate the City for costs incurred by the Chicago Police Department which took his false claims of harm seriously.
While Smollett has yet to comment on this matter, his defense attorney Nenye Uche has previously said he plans to appeal his client’s conviction.
“We are confident in our appellate system, we’re confident in our Illinois Supreme Court,” Uche explained per CBS 2 Chicago. “We feel 100 percent confident that this case will be won on appeal.”
Last week, Jussie Smollett was found guilty on five of six counts of disorderly conduct for lying to the police for the faux hate crime. He faces a maximum sentence of three years with his sentencing scheduled for Jan. 27, 2022.