Senator Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) released a slew of endorsements for state attorneys on Thursday, including one for Kim Foxx, the Cook County state’s attorney who was investigated for her decision to drop charges against former Empire actor Jussie Smollett.
“I am honored today to have the endorsement of Senator Sanders,” Foxx told Politico. “When I first ran four years ago on a platform that included a holistic approach to criminal justice reform, it was different than what previous prosecutors had ever attempted. Since in office, we’ve implemented bond and cannabis reform, we’re leading the country in vacating wrongful convictions and funneling more resources toward violent crimes to keep communities safe.”
Foxx admitted in announcing her reelection campaign in November that she “didn’t handle” the Smollett case well. “I’m making changes in my office to make sure we do better,” she said. “That’s what reform is about.”
Foxx was slammed for her decision last March to drop all charges against Smollett, after he was indicted by a grand jury for allegedly staging a hate crime against himself by hiring two associates to attack him last January.
“This case was handled markedly different from any other case at 26th Street. No one knows why, and more importantly, no one can explain why our boss, the head prosecutor of all of Cook County, has decided to so demean and debase both our hard work, and our already tenuous relationship with the Chicago Police Department,” an anonymous prosecutor in Foxx’s office wrote after the announcement.
Smollett was re-charged this week with a six-count indictment following an investigation by special prosecutor Dan Webb that began in August.