OK, now it looks like the police are ready to say positively that the attack on Smollett was a hoax.
https://twitter.com/WashNews/status/1096926013051887617Smollett case news. Backing up @RaferWeigel report: @ABC confirms detectives were able to confront the 2 brothers
— Rob Elgas (@RobElgasABC7) February 17, 2019
with evidence they purchased the rope found around Smollett’s neck at an Ace hardware store. The brothers agreed to cooperate with police.
Chicago police tell @ABC detectives are eager to speak to Jussie Smollett again urgently. “We have been in touch with Smollett’s attorneys. We contacted his attorneys last night. We made our intentions clear.”
— Rob Elgas (@RobElgasABC7) February 17, 2019
From Deadline:
“The new direction of the investigation is now based on the premise that Mr. Smollett was an active participant in the incident,” a law enforcement source close to the situation told Deadline today.
Lawyers for Smollett have been contacted by law enforcement in the last several hours with a request that the actor resubmit to questioning by detectives, I also hear. In anticipation of such requests, the Empire star has in recent days retained attorneys Victor P. Henderson and Todd Pugh. The Chicago-based lawyers specialize in criminal defense.
Officially the Chicago PD had no update on the case from its statement of last night that “due to new evidence as a result of today’s interrogations, the individuals questioned by police in the Empire case have now been released without charging and detectives have additional investigative work to complete.”
This comes as CNN is reporting that sources in the Chicago PD are saying that the actor who plays the openly gay Jamal Lyon on the hit Fox drama “paid two men to orchestrate the assault.”
There it is.
Now it’s time to go make fun of people who used the attack as an example of all the evil that Trump has wrought on our land.
UPDATE:
More details:
Jussie Smollett reportedly reimbursed the brothers for buying the rope pic.twitter.com/yegXGm9Rc7
— Steve Lookner (@lookner) February 17, 2019
The crafty beaver. OK.
NEW: Sources say at least one of the brothers purchased the rope used in Jussie Smollett incident at Crafty Beaver hardware store the weekend of Jan 25th.
— Charlie De Mar (@CharlieDeMar) February 17, 2019
Plain red hats worn by brothers were purchased from an Uptown beauty supply store. @cbschicago https://t.co/22zRPCcYTe pic.twitter.com/69e47cCuxO
.@GMA and @RobinRoberts have a lot of explaining to do. They gave @JussieSmollett a platform despite ALL the problems with his story. Their coverage, and lack of patience and due diligence is the definition of #FakeNews.
— Brad Thor (@BradThor) February 17, 2019
UPDATE:
Two law enforcement sources with knowledge of the investigation tell CNN that Chicago Police believe actor Jussie Smollet paid two men to orchestrate an assault on him that he reported late last month.
The men, who are brothers, were arrested Wednesday but released without charges Friday after Chicago police cited the discovery of “new evidence.”The sources told CNN the two men are now cooperating fully with law enforcement.