We’ve seen this act before.
Jussie Smollett, the disgraced actor, now serving time in the Cook County Jail for a hate-crime hoax that took in a huge part of the American public — and its leftist political class — is trying to get out of jail free by claiming he’s in danger of being victimized … by a hate crime.
And his legal team apparently expects to be believed.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Smollett’s lawyers have filed court papers asking for his emergency release pending an appeal of his December conviction for staging an attack on himself in 2019.
On Monday, the attorney released a recording of a phone call allegedly received by one of Smollett’s siblings on Friday.
As Rolling Stone magazine reported, the call alluded to the infamous case of Abner Louima, a Brooklyn man who was sodomized by a New York City police officer in 1997 who used a broken broomstick in the bathroom of a police precinct.
“I hope what they do to that guy in jail — here’s what they’re going to do, right. They’re going to take a broom handle, and take that little [expletive], shove it in there, and he’s gonna go, ‘[shrieking sound],’” a man’s voice on the recording said, according to Rolling Stone.
Now, it’s entirely possible that one of Smollett’s siblings really did receive such a call. The world is full of nutcases.
But it also strains credibility to think anyone sensible would take a story like that at face value, considering the source.
This is the Jussie Smollett who was convicted of falsely claiming to have been attacked by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, when he had actually paid two bodybuilding brothers to do the work.
But even before that, Smollett — who is openly gay — claimed to have received a threatening letter that, according to a New York Post Page 6 column from Feb. 18, 2019, contained the words “You will die, black f*g,” in letters cut out from a magazine (just like a ransom note in the old movies).
Smollett wasn’t charged with faking that threat, and probably won’t be, but it’s a good bet that the criminal mastermind behind his fake beating thought up the threatening letter first.
In short, to say Jussie Smollett has a credibility problem would be putting it mildly. (The irony of the story being covered by Rolling Stone — a magazine with its own considerable credibility problems — is almost laughable.)
Yet his legal team is asking for emergency release from a jail sentence that, if anything, is too light?
Even in the (unlikely) event any threat to Smollett is both real and credible at this point, it’s going to take a lot more than the word of his family or his legal team to get anyone to believe it. There’s a story about a boy who cried wolf that maybe Jussie can brush up on during his time in the stir.
In any event, it’s not getting the reception Smollett probably hoped for:
Did the caller yell “this is MAGA country” before threatening him?
— J (@LoOhKiTx) March 15, 2022
What are the chances Jussie Smollett pulled a Jussie Smollett and faked this phone call?https://t.co/V5xIcZBb6X
— Dr. Johnny (@drjohnny__) March 15, 2022
#JussieSmollett’s legal team demands emergency release as family shares threatening call.
Bad acting got him into this mess, yet there he was in the courtroom doubling down w/his “I’m not suicidal” act. They should increase his jail time for this ??♂️https://t.co/jCHcLgfB7u
— Shaughn_A (@Shaughn_A2) March 15, 2022
As always in the Smollett case, it’s worth remembering that there were far too many politicians and celebrities who fell over themselves to pledge how much they believed Smollett’s story and how much they blamed Donald Trump for it.
There was now-President Joe Biden, now-Vice President Kamala Harris, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – a whole rogues’ gallery from the worlds of progressive politics and liberal celebrity that couldn’t wait to tell the world how virtuous they are by publicly siding with Smollett.
They’re probably not foolish enough to step out on that limb again, and neither is the Cook County, Illinois, criminal justice system (though it disgraced itself plenty in the matter, thanks to State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.)
But that isn’t stopping Team Smollett from trying.
No one can say Jussie Smollett doesn’t have brass.
He has no shame, either.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
