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Timmothy Pitzen, left, was 6 years old when he vanished in 2011. The photo of him on the right provided by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, shows him age-progressed to 13 years old. (Aurora Police Department)
An Illinois boy who disappeared in 2011 mayhave been found in Ohio eight years after he vanished, officials said Wednesday.
Timmothy Pitzen was 6 years old when he vanished. Investigators believe his mother, 43-year-old Amy Fry-Pitzen, picked him up from school in May 2011 and took the boy to the zoo and a water park in Wisconsin before she apparently killed herself in a hotel room in Illinois.
TEXAS BOY, 9, MISSING SINCE 2017 FOUND IN FLORIDA
The FBI Louisville field office confirmed on Twitter Wednesday that they were working with several law enforcement agencies — including the Cincinnati field office, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office in Ohio and police in Aurora, Illinois, Newport, Kentucky and Cincinatti, Ohio — on a missing child investigation.
Aurora Police Sgt. Bill Rowley told The Associated Press that the boy “disappeared ten years ago and we’ve probably had thousands of tips of him popping up in different areas.”
“We have no idea what we’re driving down there for,” he said. “It could be Pitzen. It could be a hoax.”
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The department said they know there’s a boy involved but don’t know who he is, or if he has any connection to Pitzen, Rowley said, adding the force is sending two detectives to Cincinnati to investigate.
Pitzen, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, might go by the name “Tim” or “Timmy.” He’s a white male, with brown eyes and brown hair.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: Fox News National
Toni Preckwinkle, left, was facing off against Lori Lightfoot in the race for Chicago mayor. (Getty Images/AP, File)
Polls have closed in Chicago’s mayoral election, in which a former federal prosecutor who has never held elected office was vying Tuesday against a powerful official whose political career spans decades — providing voters a clear contrast in a historic runoff already assured of elevating a black woman to lead the nation’s third-largest city.
The race to succeed Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who opted not to run for re-election, comes days after Chicago state prosecutors stunned the nation by opting to drop charges against actor Jussie Smollet, who was accused of faking a hate-crime attack that implicated supporters of President Trump. Prosecutors have said they did not intend to vindicate Smollet, but the actor publicly claimed exoneration — leading comedians to mock him, and police unions and the mayor’s office to cry foul.
Lori Lightfoot, 56, who had served as an assistant U.S. attorney before entering private practice, emerged as the surprising leader in the first round of voting in February when 14 candidates were on the ballot. She was matched up against Toni Preckwinkle, a former schoolteacher who served on the Chicago City Council for 19 years before becoming Cook County Board president in 2011.
Chicago will become the largest U.S. city to elect a black woman as mayor. The winner will join seven other black women currently serving as mayors in major U.S. cities, including Atlanta and New Orleans.
Lightfoot, who is openly gay, seized on outrage over the deadly shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald — at the hands of white officer Jason Van Dyke — to launch her campaign. That was even before Emanuel announced he wouldn’t seek a third term amid criticism for initially resisting calls to release video of the shooting.
WHY WAS OBAMA CHIEF OF STAFF REACHING OUT TO SMOLLET PROSECUTOR?
“I’m not a person who decided I would climb the ladder of a corrupt political party,” Lightfoot said during a debate last month. “I don’t hold the title of committeeman, central committeeman, boss of the party.”
That was a not-so-veiled reference to Preckwinkle, who also leads the county’s Democratic Party and has countered that her opponent lacked the necessary experience for the job.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, right, and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, center, at a news conference last month after prosecutors abruptly dropped all charges against “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford, File)
“This is not an entry-level job,” Preckwinkle has said repeatedly during the campaign. “It’s easy to talk about change. It’s hard to actually do it. And that’s been my experience — being a change maker, a change agent, transforming institutions and communities.”
Joyce Ross, 64, a certified nursing assistant living on the West Side, said she cast her ballot Tuesday for Lightfoot. Ross also said she believed Lightfoot would be better able to clean up the police department and curb the city’s violence.
DRIVE-BY SHOOTING SULLIES MOOD IN CHICAGO, AFTER RELATIVELY GOOD MONTH OF ONLY 20 HOMICIDES
In addition, she said she was bothered by Preckwinkle’s association with longtime Alderman Ed Burke, who was indicted earlier this year on charges he tried to shake down a restaurant owner who wanted to build in his ward.
“My momma always said birds of a feather flock together,” Ross said.
Truly Gannon, a 39-year old dietitian and mother of four , said she wasn’t bothered by stories that portrayed Preckwinkle as an insider aligned with questionable politicians like Burke. She said she supported Preckwinkle based on her experience.
“I’m not sure Lightfoot would be able to handle the job like Preckwinkle,” she said.
The campaign between the two women got off to a contentious start, with Preckwinkle’s advertising focusing on Lightfoot’s work as a partner at Mayer Brown, one of the nation’s largest law firms, and tagging her as a “wealthy corporate lawyer.”
Preckwinkle also tried to cast Lightfoot as an insider for working in police oversight posts under Emanuel and police oversight, procurement and emergency communications posts under former Mayor Richard M. Daley.
In one ad, Preckwinkle criticized Lightfoot’s oversight of emergency communications in 2004 when a fire killed four children. A judge ordered Lightfoot to preserve 911 tapes after questions were raised about how the emergency call was handled. The ad noted some of the tapes were destroyed, prompting the judge to rebuke Lightfoot. The ad sparked a backlash from the family of three of the children killed, with their sister accusing Preckwinkle of trying to take advantage of her family’s tragedy.
WATCH: DUELING RALLIES OVER SMOLLET ENGULF CHICAGO
Lightfoot also responded by scolding her opponent for being negative while also airing ads pointing out Preckwinkle’s connection to powerful local Democrats, including one under federal indictment.
Preckwinkle spent much of her time during the campaign answering for her ties to Chicago’s political establishment. She and her supporters asserted her rise to Democratic Party leadership did not hinder her ability to oppose policies promoted by the city’s ever-powerful mayors.
“My whole career has been about change, and change is action and results, not simply words,” said Preckwinkle, who said her experience made her better positioned to lead a city with financial problems and poorer neighborhoods hit by gun violence.
Dueling protestors speaking out Monday in Chicago over Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office’s decision to drop all charges against “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
Despite the barbs on the campaign trail, the two advanced similar ideas to boost the city’s finances.
Both candidates expressed support for a casino in Chicago and for changing the state’s income tax system to a graduated tax, in which higher earners would be taxed at a higher rate.
Preckwinkle said that while downtown development should remain a priority, it should not be at the cost of neighborhood growth. She promoted additional investments in neighborhood schools, affordable housing and criminal justice reform.
Lightfoot said that as mayor, she would focus on investing in neighborhoods on the West and South Sides and bring transparency and accountability to City Hall. She added she also wanted to end City Hall corruption and restore people’s faith in government.
“The machine’s been in decline for a while, but it still has a grip on certain things,” Lightfoot said. “This is our opportunity to send it to its grave, once and for all.”
Fox News’ Andrew O’Reilly and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: Fox News Politics
The decision to drop charges against “Empire” star Jussie Smollett may have stoked controversy in Chicago, but the actor still has the backing of a prominent California Democrat.
U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., was honored over the weekend at the NAACP Image Awards, where Smollett was also nominated — but lost — for best-supporting actor in a television drama for his role as Jamal Lyon on the Fox series. He was edged out by “Grey’s Anatomy” star Jesse Williams.
In an interview with “Extra,” Waters said it was the “correct thing” for prosecutors to dismiss all 16 felony counts against Smollett, who is black and gay. The “Empire” actor was accused of faking a racist, anti-gay attack on himself in January. Authorities said that in return for the charges being dropped, Smollett agreed to forfeit the $10,000 he put up to get out of jail and completed community service.
U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. said she was “looking forward” to seeing actor Jussie Smollett “very soon.” (AP)
“First of all, we probably will never know all of the details,” Waters told “Extra.” “We’ve heard a lot of information. No one was hurt — that is, physically, killed, shot — he never committed a crime before, he forfeited the bail and it’s this kind of situation where they close the case all over the country every day. I have learned this isn’t unusual.”
DUELING RALLIES OVER KIM FOXX’S HANDLING OF JUSSIE SMOLLETT CASE HELD IN CHICAGO
Waters, the Democratic chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, said the case received a lot of attention because Smollett is “An extremely talented man who people have come to love because he is on TV.”
“I’m hopeful that he will go on with his career and be successful,” she said.
Even though he lost this time, Smollett has been nominated for four years in a row and won in 2017.
CHICAGO POLICE UNION PRESIDENT ‘LOOKING FOR JUSTICE’ AFTER JUSSIE SMOLLETT CHARGES DROPPED
The surprise decision to drop charges on last week, followed by Smollett’s claims of innocence, prompted an immediate rebuke from Chicago’s mayor and police superintendent. After an intense public backlash, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said Friday night that she is open to an outside investigation into her office’s dramatic decision to dismiss all charges against Smollett.
Dueling rallies were also held on Monday over the decision by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office to drop charges.
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Waters told “Extra” she had not spoken to Smollett since the charges were dropped, but hinted the two may be in for a reunion soon.
“I would love to see him, and I am looking forward to seeing him very soon,” she said.
Fox News’ Barnini Chakraborty in Chicago contributed to this report.
Source: Fox News Politics
As Chicago prepares for dueling rallies over the fallout from Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office to drop charges against “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, the head of the city’s police union is demanding justice in the case.
Kevin Graham, president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, told “America’s Newsroom” that authorities believed their case against Smollett was “solid” and thought they would have gotten a conviction.
“This case should have stood trial,” Graham said.
CHICAGO PROSECUTOR KIM FOXX OPEN TO OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION INTO JUSSIE SMOLLETT CASE
Foxx has faced criticism since prosecutors dismissed all 16 felony counts against Smollett, who is black and gay. The “Empire” actor was accused of faking a racist, anti-gay attack on himself in January. Authorities said that in return for the charges being dropped, Smollett agreed to forfeit the $10,000 he put up to get out of jail and completed community service.
Graham said his union is planning a protest outside Foxx’s office Monday, not over the dismissal of the Smollett charges, but from what he called a history of the office: “not prosecuting cases or not prosecuting them fully, having low bonds on people.”
“We are turning people back out onto the streets, and that’s pretty hard when you’re using the court system as a penalty box like a hockey game,” he told “America’s Newsroom.”
As members from the union protest outside of Foxx’s office, a counter-demonstration in support of the embattled prosecutor is expected to be held by the Rev. Jesse Jackson and other clergies. Jackson’s Rainbow/PUSH Coalition said the civil rights leader will join fellow clergy, elected officials, attorneys and community activists for the rally supporting Foxx.
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx speaking at a news conference in Chicago. (AP)
Jackson said in a statement that the criticism of Foxx is “unreasonable, unjustified and politically motivated.”
Graham, who called the counter-protest “bewildering” because “we’re all looking for justice,” said that outrage and dueling protests could have been avoided if Foxx’s office had simply gone through with prosecuting the case.
“I think many of these people who are having this counter protest, that’s what they’ve been looking for in Chicago — justice,” he said. “And they should be standing behind the police and the F.O.P.”
The police union head said the Illinois law system is “very complicated,” and that the decision to charge Smollett with a Class 4 felony for filing a false police report that cost the city $130,000 shows a need for “improvements in the law.” He also remained hopeful that federal officials look at the case, with particular regard to the envelope that was set with the accusation that Smollett was going to be harmed.
CHICAGO PROSECUTOR KIM FOXX CHIDED BY NATIONAL ATTORNEYS GROUP AFTER JUSSIE SMOLLETT CHARGES DROPPED
“We feel that is a good case for the FBI to look at, that the U.S. attorney could prosecute if they find the facts and circumstances to be what the Chicago PD found,” he told “America’s Newsroom.”
After an intense public backlash, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said Friday night that she is open to an outside investigation into her office’s dramatic decision to dismiss all charges against Smollett.
In an op-ed for The Chicago Tribune, Foxx admitted that a third-party review into the high-profile case would help maintain transparency.
“I am not perfect, nor is any other prosecutor out there, but ensuring that I and my office have our community’s trust is paramount,” Foxx, who ran on a platform of transparency, wrote.
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While Graham said he was going to wait on a board of directors meeting Tuesday before saying if he believes Foxx should resign, the police union head said he’s gotten calls and emails from “around the country” from those who felt justice was not done. He also said that additional law enforcement agencies are meeting to discuss action’s by Foxx’s office and failure to “prosecute some of the crimes that are going on in Cook County.”
“I do think she’s going to have a problem if this isn’t addressed,” he told “America’s Newsroom.”
Fox News’ Barnini Chakraborty in Chicago and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: Fox News National
Dueling rallies — in support of and in opposition to embattled Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx — are expected to take place in Chicago on Monday, as the fallout from last week’s surprise dismissal of charges against “Empire” star Jussie Smollett continues to divide the public, police and political leaders.
Rev. Jesse Jackson, clergy, elected officials, attorneys and community activists are scheduled to hold one rally at the Chicago Temple on Monday to back Foxx, who received intense backlash from the public — and from law enforcement officers — after it was announced charges against Smollett for allegedly staging a racist and homophobic attack would be dropped.
The Fraternal Order of Police in Chicago is also expected to hold a protest outside of Foxx’s office on Monday.
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx speaking at a news conference in Chicago. (AP)
Jackson has previously defended Foxx and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, an organization that provided a letter of support for Smollett, stating the actor completed on-site community service.
CHICAGOANS SLAM RAHM EMANUEL IN WAKE OF JUSSIE SMOLLETT SCANDAL, CALL HIM HYPOCRITE OVER HANDLING RACE RELATIONS
The letter was cited in the court case Tuesday.
“PUSH has always been a house of refuge. It’s part of what we do, reaching out to people who are in distress, and we have done so in many high-profile cases over the years, from Sammy Davis Jr., when he hugged President Nixon and black folks turned against him, to Bobby Rush, after police tried to kill him in the Black Panthers raid,” Jackson told the Chicago Sun-Times. “You can’t have people just one incident away from being in oblivion.”
Smollett was arrested last month for allegedly staging the anti-gay, racist attack on himself in January, reportedly in a bid to promote his career. He vehemently denied the charges and insisted two men approached him, beat him, threw bleach on him and tied a rope around his neck before shouting, “This is MAGA country,” in reference to President Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”
But after viewing surveillance footage of the alleged attackers buying items used in the alleged assault, investigators were able to determine the identities of the men — and found the Nigerian brothers had connections to Smollett. Before the case was suddenly dismissed, the men were reportedly ready to testify Smollett paid them to stage the attack.
The dropped charges infuriated Chicago police, who spent up to 1,000 hours investigating the case, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who dubbed Foxx’s decision a “whitewash of justice.”
CHICAGO PROSECUTOR KIM FOXX OPEN TO OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION INTO JUSSIE SMOLLETT CASE
Rev. Al Sharpton joined Jackson in defending the controversial attorney and called Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel a hypocrite for slamming Smollett.
“There is a marked difference between how they reacted to this and how they reacted to the Laquan McDonald case. They were not outraged when the video was withheld until after the mayor’s election,” Sharpton told the Chicago Tribune while referring to Emanuel, police Superintendent Eddie Johnson and other officials. “There was a fox in the henhouse then, but the fox wasn’t Kim then. The name of that fox was whoever was in the mayor’s race.”
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The mayor’s spokesman, Matt McGrath, said Sharpton’s statement “isn’t worthy of a response.”
Foxx wrote in an op-ed for The Chicago Tribune on Friday that a third-party review into the high-profile case would help maintain transparency.
“I am not perfect, nor is any other prosecutor out there, but ensuring that I and my office have our community’s trust is paramount,” Foxx, who ran on a platform of transparency, wrote.
Fox News’ Barnini Chakraborty and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: Fox News National
Illinois State Police vehicles line up outside the Stephenson County Coroner’s office on Thursday in Freeport after a procession to deliver the body of Trooper Brooke Jones-Story, who was struck and killed by a truck while conducting a traffic stop earlier in the day. (Scott P. Yates/Rockford Register Star via AP)
An Illinois State Police trooper was killed early Saturday when a driver going the wrong way slammed into his squad car. The crash marks the third Illinois trooper death this year, and the second in just three days.
Trooper Gerald Ellis, 36, was referred to as “a great hero” by his colleagues. He was on duty and heading home in his squad car on Interstate 94 when a wrong-way driver hit his vehicle about 3:25 a.m.
Ellis, an 11-year State Police veteran, died at the hospital less than an hour later.
CHICAGO POLICE SUED OVER ALLEGEDLY RAIDING A 4-YEAR-OLDS BIRTHDAY PARTY, SMASHING THE CAKE
Ellis was also a military veteran, and he leaves behind a wife and two children.
Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly called the loss “a bitter salt in an open wound.”
On Thursday, Trooper Brooke Jones-Story was killed when a truck struck her in Freeport. In January, a vehicle hit Trooper Christopher Lambert near Northbrook.
ILLINOIS STATE TROOPER FATALLY STRUCK DURING TRAFFIC STOP, OFFICIALS SAY
The fatalities come amid a sharp increase in drivers hitting squad cars that have stopped with their emergency lights on.
Saturday’s death is the first time in 66 years that the Illinois State Police have lost three state troopers in one year.
The police issued a tweet Thursday, following Jones-Story’s death, with a photo of the highway’s overhead signs reading: “Enough Is Enough,” along with a notice on Scott’s Law.
Scott’s Law, also known as the “Move Over” Law, requires drivers to slow down and change lanes upon approaching “stationary authorized emergency” vehicles with their warning lights on, the Illinois State Police explained on their website.
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“There are only two ways this stops: People drive safely, or troopers stop patrolling,” Kelly said. “And there is nothing and no one on Earth, or in heaven or hell that will ever keep these troopers from doing the job that they swore to do.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: Fox News National
Illinois State Police vehicles line up outside the Stephenson County Coroner’s office on Thursday in Freeport after a procession to deliver the body of Trooper Brooke Jones-Story, who was struck and killed by a truck while conducting a traffic stop earlier in the day. (Scott P. Yates/Rockford Register Star via AP)
An Illinois State Police trooper was killed early Saturday when a driver going the wrong way slammed into his squad car. The crash marks the third Illinois trooper death this year, and the second in just three days.
Trooper Gerald Ellis, 36, was referred to as “a great hero” by his colleagues. He was on duty and heading home in his squad car on Interstate 94 when a wrong-way driver hit his vehicle about 3:25 a.m.
Ellis, an 11-year State Police veteran, died at the hospital less than an hour later.
CHICAGO POLICE SUED OVER ALLEGEDLY RAIDING A 4-YEAR-OLDS BIRTHDAY PARTY, SMASHING THE CAKE
Ellis was also a military veteran, and he leaves behind a wife and two children.
Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly called the loss “a bitter salt in an open wound.”
On Thursday, Trooper Brooke Jones-Story was killed when a truck struck her in Freeport. In January, a vehicle hit Trooper Christopher Lambert near Northbrook.
ILLINOIS STATE TROOPER FATALLY STRUCK DURING TRAFFIC STOP, OFFICIALS SAY
The fatalities come amid a sharp increase in drivers hitting squad cars that have stopped with their emergency lights on.
Saturday’s death is the first time in 66 years that the Illinois State Police have lost three state troopers in one year.
The police issued a tweet Thursday, following Jones-Story’s death, with a photo of the highway’s overhead signs reading: “Enough Is Enough,” along with a notice on Scott’s Law.
Scott’s Law, also known as the “Move Over” Law, requires drivers to slow down and change lanes upon approaching “stationary authorized emergency” vehicles with their warning lights on, the Illinois State Police explained on their website.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
“There are only two ways this stops: People drive safely, or troopers stop patrolling,” Kelly said. “And there is nothing and no one on Earth, or in heaven or hell that will ever keep these troopers from doing the job that they swore to do.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: Fox News National
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx speaking at a news conference in Chicago on February 22. (AP)
After intense public backlash, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said Friday night that she is open to an outside investigation into her office’s dramatic decision to dismiss all charges against “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett.
In an op-ed for The Chicago Tribune, Foxx admitted that a third-party review into the high-profile case would help maintain transparency.
The surprise decision to drop charges on Tuesday, followed by Smollett’s claims of innocence and exoneration paired with an immediate rebuke from Chicago’s mayor and police superintendent that it was a “whitewash of justice” put pressure on the state’s attorney’s office to defend its actions.
“I am not perfect, nor is any other prosecutor out there, but ensuring that I and my office have our community’s trust is paramount,” Foxx, who ran on a platform of transparency, wrote.
TRUMP SAYS DOJ, FBI TO REVIEW OUTRAGEOUS DECISION TO DROP CHARGES IN JUSSIE SMOLLETT CASE
Smollett is accused of staging an anti-gay, racist attack on himself in January in order to promote his career. He has denied the charges from the start and says two men approached him, beat him, threw bleach on him and tied a rope around his neck before shouting, “This is MAGA country,” in reference to President Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”
In order to investigate the hate crime, the city removed 24 detectives from their regular cases, expending up to 1,000 hours to hunt down the truth.
“In determining whether or not to pursue charges, prosecutors are required to balance the severity of the crime against the likelihood of securing a conviction,” Foxx wrote. “For a variety of reasons … my office believed the likelihood of securing a conviction was not certain.”
Foxx said Smollett’s “alleged unstable actions have probably caused him more harm than any court-ordered penance could.” But she added that jails should be reserved for those who commit violent crimes.
Her defense isn’t swaying many people.
CHICAGO PROSECUTOR KIM FOXX CHIDED BY NATIONAL ATTORNEYS GROUP AFTER CHARGES DROPPED
“Foxx could have distanced herself from this blunder given that her own blunder — emailing and texting with people close to Smollett early in the investigation — had prompted her to step away from the case and leave it to underlings,” Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn wrote. “But she grabbed ownership of it Wednesday, giving interviews in which she expressed pride and confidence in the way her office had handled the case.”
Zorn, like so many others in Chicago, believe Foxx “probably will and arguably should lose her job next year over her office’s handling of the Jussie Smollett case.”
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Foxx’s actions also prompted both the National District Attorneys Association and the Illinois Prosecutors bar Association to sharply criticize her office.
President Trump even waded into the controversy, saying he’d asked federal law enforcement officials to look into Smollett’s case.
“I think the case in Chicago is an absolute embarrassment to our country, and I have asked that they look at it,” Trump said.
Source: Fox News National
To Illinois Rep. Michael McAuliffe, actions apparently speak louder than words — which is why the Chicago Republican said he’s firing back at Jussie Smollett’s alleged hate crime hoax charges being dropped with legislation of his own.
The lawmaker announced his decision Tuesday to file a bill that would prohibit any TV or film production that employs the “Empire” actor from receiving state tax film credits. Earlier that day, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said it was granting Smollett nolle pros, essentially dropping the case.
“A lot of valuable Chicago Police Department (CPD) man-hours and resources were wasted chasing down a bogus crime arranged by Smollett,” McAuliffe said in an online statement Tuesday. “Hate crimes are serious and so is the time and effort of the CPD. He has cost Chicago a lot more than a $10,000 bond. Smollett should not be able to get anything more from the City of Chicago or Illinois.”
KAMALA HARRIS ON JUSSIE SMOLLETT CHARGES BEING DROPPED: ‘I’M COMPLETELY CONFUSED’
McAuliffe blasted the actor for causing a “media frenzy” over the past two months and claimed the Chicago Police Department was “forced” to dedicate resources to investigate Smollett’s allegations that two men beat him up on a cold January night. The city of Chicago delivered a letter to Jussie Smollett’s legal team Thursday seeking $130,000 from the actor, a spokesperson for the city law department told Fox News, while Smollett’s lawyers argued Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson “owe him an apology.”
“[Those resources] could have been better spent addressing gun violence and other, very real public safety threats,” a statement from McAuliffe’s office read.
“Where the City of Chicago is concerned, Jussie Smollett is far from exonerated.”
The representative noted Chicago’s growing influence on the film and TV industry, explaining that the city offers tax breaks — a 30 percent film tax credit, plus a 15 percent bonus that’s “available on labor expenditures in high-poverty areas” — to encourage growth in this field. The Fox drama “Empire,” which Smollett stars in, currently films in Chicago.
To combat what he considers injustice from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office regarding the Smollett ruling, McAuliffe said he would introduce legislation that would require any production company that employ’s the 36-year-old actor to “forfeit” that state film tax credit or any other incentives offered by the Illinois Department of Revenue or the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
“Where the City of Chicago is concerned, Jussie Smollett is far from exonerated,” McAullife said. “While the State’s Attorney has chosen not to pursue justice in this case, we need to send a message that Smollett’s actions are not a reflection of the values we have in Chicago and won’t be tolerated. His accusations and lies caused a lot of pain to all Chicagoans.”
On Thursday, while explaining his new bill to CNN, McAuliffe said Smollett “made Chicago the laughing stock of the nation.”
Illinois Rep. Michael McAuliffe (left) is introducing a bill to prevent companies that employ Jussie Smollett (right) from receiving state tax film credits. (AP)
“The General Assembly here in Illinois gives a very robust tax credit to any production company that plans on filming TV shows or movies,” McAuliffe told the news network. “And I feel someone like … Smollett or someone else that would commit the same type of act should not benefit from this generous, robust tax credit that is offered from the city of Chicago residents and the taxpayers of the state of Illinois.”
Smollett was indicted on 16 felony counts in connection to his Chicago attack allegations in early March. He pleaded not guilty and was cleared of all charges by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office on Tuesday. Evidence in the case is also expected to remain sealed.
The “Empire” star has maintained his innocence throughout the investigation and said Tuesday he was ready “to just get back to work and move on” with his life.
In late February, “Empire” show executives revealed that Smollett’s character had been cut from the final two episodes of Season 5 amid the open investigation. His future on the series still remains unclear. However, 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment sent a message in support of the actor Tuesday.
“Jussie Smollett has always maintained his innocence and we are gratified on his behalf that all charges against him have been dismissed,” the statement read.
McAuliffe did not immediately return Fox News’ request for further comment on the legislation Friday morning.
Fox News’ Sasha Savitsky contributed to this report.
Source: Fox News Politics
Trooper Brooke Jones-Story, 34, left, was killed Thursday in the 15th crash into a stopped squad car on the Illinois interstate this year. Trooper Christopher Lambert, 34, right, was killed in January when he was struck outside his vehicle while responding to a three-car crash. (Illinois State Police)
Crashes into stopped squad cars on Illinois roadways, that have killed two state troopers and hospitalized at least one other since January, have state lawmakers urging drivers to “do the decent thing” and follow the law.
The latest case — death of Trooper Brooke Jones-Story, 34, on Thursday — resulted from the 15th crash this year involving a state law enforcement vehicle.
State officials have been campaigning to get drivers to slow down and change lanes for stationary emergency vehicles that have their warning lights turned on, an act called Scott’s Law, since a trooper was struck and killed in January while responding to a three-car crash.
ILLINOIS STATE TROOPER FATALLY STRUCK WHILE INVESTIGATING VEHICLE CRASH ON INTERSTATE
Killed in that crash was 34-year-old Trooper Christopher Lambert, who was standing near the crash site when he was struck by a Jeep that had failed to slow down. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. He left behind a 1-year-old child.
Illinois State Police vehicles line up outside the Stephenson County Coroner’s office on Thursday in Freeport, Ill., after a procession to deliver the body of Trooper Brooke Jones-Story who was struck and killed by a truck while conducting a traffic stop on Highway 20. (Associated Press)
Jones-Story left her vehicle, with the emergency lights turned on, to conduct a truck inspection on the side of the highway. A “truck tractor semi-trailer combination” then veered off the roadway struck the squad car, followed by the commercial vehicle, and fatally struck the trooper, Illinois State Police (ISP) Acting Director Brendan F. Kelly said
ILLINOIS STATE TROOPER FATALLY STRUCK DURING TRAFFIC STOP, OFFICIALS SAY
The 12-year veteran leaves behind her husband, two stepchildren and a stepgrandchild, as well as other family members, according to officials.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker offered prayers to the family following the “devastating” loss, urging drivers that the “only decent thing to do” is to change lanes or slow down.
“Our state troopers do incredible work keeping the public safe, and it is devastating to the entire state that another has been killed on the side of a highway,” he wrote on Twitter.
“I cannot stress strongly enough – when you see an emergency vehicle on the side of the road, change lanes or slow down” he continued. “It’s the law, and it’s the only decent thing to do.”
Scott’s Law, also known as the “Move Over” Law, requires drivers to slow down and change lanes upon approaching “stationary authorized emergency” vehicles with their warning lights on, the Illinois State Police explained on their website.
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The police issued a tweet Thursday, following Jones-Story’s death, with a photo of the highway’s overhead signs reading: “Enough Is Enough,” along with a notice on Scott’s Law.
One week before the death of Jones-Story, the state’s 14th accident nearly killed another trooper. The unidentified trooper was responding to a vehicle that hit a light pole when a passing truck struck him outside of his marked squad car, with lights activated, KFVS-TV of Cape Girardeau, Mo., reported. He was rushed to a hospital and was in serious but stable condition.
In the wake of the crashes, lawmakers have urged tougher penalties for drivers who break Scott’s Law, the Chicago Tribune reported. A new bill, if passed, could slap drivers with a misdemeanor charge for crashes that lead to injury or death. Violators currently face up to a $10,000 fine and lose their license.
Fox News’ Elizabeth Zwirz contributed to this report.
Source: Fox News National
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