February 21, 2019

Isn't the evidence a little too good?



ADDED: In case you don't know what's going on here — from "Jussie Smollett arrested and faces a felony charge for allegedly filing false police report" (CNN):
While [police] did not provide specifics on the developments, surveillance video from January 28 obtained from a Chicago-area beauty supply store appears to show the men connected to the incident purchasing a ski mask, sunglasses, a red hat and other items the day before the alleged assault. They paid for the items in cash, according to the owner, who did not want to be identified.

The two men questioned by police -- identified as brothers Olabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo -- were initially arrested February 13 but released without charges after police cited the discovery of "new evidence." They've met with police and prosecutors at a Chicago courthouse, police spokesman Tom Ahern said. The two are no longer suspects at this time, Chicago police have said...

In a joint statement issued to CNN affiliate WBBM, the men said: "We are not racist. We are not homophobic, and we are not anti-Trump. We were born and raised in Chicago and are American citizens."

121 comments:

AustinRoth said...

Too good? No, the false narrative of the beating was too good.

This just shows the stupidity of the hoaxers.

Chuck said...

LOL. A couple of big young black guys on the Chicago West Side (okay, okay, West Loop), buying gloves, rope, bleach and ski masks.

And they are the innocent ones.

I am so grateful to have seen that James Woods Tweet. Much obliged.

rhhardin said...

The trouble with ski masks is that they fog your glasses. Serious breathing leaks out of the eyeholes.

MikeR said...

I'm glad they dressed warm.

Tank said...

“Olabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo”

That is not who we are.

If it is, we are done.

Aren’t those names a statement that, “I am not an American?”

Tarrou said...

Just some enterprising immigrants doing the jobs American's just won't do anymore.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

“Olabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo”

Nigeria's equivilant of Two Wild and Crazy Guys

Back when SNL was actually funny.

Ralph L said...

beauty supply store
They should demand a refund.

sinz52 said...

"Aren’t those names a statement that, “I am not an American?”"

Nigerian-Americans, Nigeria being Africa’s most populous nation: Their education levels are among the very highest in the U.S., above those of Asians, with 17 percent having a master’s degree.

About three-quarters of African migrants speak English, and they have above-average rates of labor force participation. They are also much less likely to commit violent crimes than native-born Americans.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-africa-immigration-trump-norway-slur-0116-20180112-story.html

gilbar said...

what other Chicagoans have beat in to them: Don't Snitch.

Snitches Get Stitches
is what they taught us in Hoffman Estates

whitney said...

These people are stupid. They are the dunning-kruger effect brought to life. Which was inspired by some idiot bank robber who rubbed lemon juice on his face and thought that would make him invisible to security cameras. Overconfident and stupid seems to be a trending character trait

Tank said...

@sinz

Why don’t they give their kids American names?

It is a statement.

Lucid-Ideas said...

So I read the following last night...

Apparently Jessie and his buds intended for this attack to get caught on the street security cameras. Did you all know that?

They didn't time it properly and all they got was the two Nigerians walking away.

Now think about this for a second...

They wanted it to be caught on camera, at night, while they were wearing ski-masks and he could say they were white. While he gets pummeled on camera in a fake hate crime.

He intended for this to start a riot...
He intended for this to be huge...
Violence against white people and Trump supporters was the ultimate goal...
That's what was intended here.

No mercy. None.

And no, it's not 'too good to be true'...they are literally that frickin' dumb.

Drago said...

One can only imagine the feverish back and forth emailing between Inga and LLR Chuck desperately trading talking points from their favorite lefty sources in the now lost hope that they and their lefty allies could somehow spin this to lefty advantage!

So here's what we know: the Left/LLR's could literally stage a hilariously fake murder on 5th Avenue and LLR Chuck and Inga would still believe it!

LOL

As noted elsewhere (Ace of Spades?), this is literally ANOTHER lefty/LLR/NeverTrumper attempted Reichstag fire.

They are coming about one a week now.

Ralph L said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Drago said...

Lucid: "He intended for this to start a riot...
He intended for this to be huge...
Violence against white people and Trump supporters was the ultimate goal...
That's what was intended here."

Precisely correct.

A Reichstag Fire perpetrated by the usual lefty/LLR lap poodle suspects.

Ralph L said...

Were they going to wear partial whiteface under the masks?

Wince said...

"May I have 10,000 marbles, please?"

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QZxv47TNUlI

Andrew said...

I appreciate that the Nigerian brothers are cooperating with police and prosecutors. But shouldn't they be charged with something?! Don't they deserve at least a misdemeanor charge for being accomplices?

As others have pointed out, suppose two white men had been arrested and charged with the hate crime. Would Smollett have said something? Would these brothers have intervened?

Drago said...

If you think what the left/lefty media/LLR's are doing now is bad, give it 6 more months when all the relevant Russia collusion Hoax-Gate/Frame-up are released.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Sprinkle on the coast guard plot - perfect timing of course- and boom. Fargo II.

285exp said...

DBQ, the Nigerians are more Hans and Franz than Two Crazy Guys.

Static Ping said...

Apparently, Jussie does not have any white friends to beat him up on the streets of Chicago. It's poor casting and it ruins the suspension of disbelief. The director should be fired for that alone, not to mention the terrible camera work.

Or is this a matter that white hate crimes can only be believably executed by African-Americans these days?

Mike Sylwester said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
William said...

The hoax was certainly elaborate, but that didn't make it smart. Jussie probably would have been better off if he had kept it simpler and with less moving parts. He should have said that the attack had happened months earlier at a location he could not recall. The trauma of the event had caused him to forget certain key details such as time and place, but, likewise, the trauma of the event had also caused certain key details, like the screaming of "This is MAGA country, faggot" to be imprinted on his hippocampus. He was just now coming forward at tremendous personal risk and discomfort because he thought it important for America to know of his ordeal. Such a story would have been believed and embraced. Jussie was a promising young actor with absolutely no reason to lie about such a horrendous experience. In much the way that we should believe all women when they speak of sexual assaults, we should believe all gays when they talk of homophobia and that goes doubly--nay triply--when there is the element of racism involved.......Well, live and learn. Maybe next hoax.

Drago said...

LLR Chuck: "I am so grateful to have seen that James Woods Tweet. Much obliged."

LOL

wink wink....

MadisonMan said...

Someone -- a writer? A friend of a writer? -- posted on Althouse a while back about this: "This is what happens when the actors write the script"

Drago said...

Byron York: Dems' hard-left turn poses dilemma for 'Never Trumpers'

I disagree with York's supposed "dilemma" for the NeverTrump/LLR's.

They are completely aligned with the left, so a harder turn left by the dems poses no issues whatsoever for our Open Borders/Pro-dem policy NeverTrump/LLR stooges.

traditionalguy said...

This is a fast moving story. The word is that Kamala set this up. Will that truth come out soon from her Dem opponents?

Gretchen said...

Seems to me that the clerk at the store tipped off the police, he said no one buys these masks, so he may have felt they would be used in the commission of a crime.

I don't think the Chicago police solved this as quickly any other way.

MadisonMan said...

he said no one buys these masks

This was in the middle of a huge cold snap. Buying ski masks then seems totally normal to me.

Mike Sylwester said...

we are not anti-Trump

In January 2017, I wrote a series of articles about the vandalism of the home of Nikita Whitlock, a professional football player on the New York Giants team. I became interested in this case because I live close (ten-minute drive) to Whitlock's home in Moonachie, New Jersey.

While Whitlock was eating out with him family on December 6, 2016, someone vandalized home. Remarkably, the person spray-painted graffiti indicating that the vandal was a supporter of Donald Trump, who had won the Presidential election exactly one month previously.

As the public outrage developed, Whitlock expressed his dismay about this graffiti. He indicated that he did not want the vandalism to reflect badly on Trump and his supporters.

Anyway, I analyzed this incident in four long articles. I developed an explanation that an acquaintance of Whitlock took advantage of the Whitlock family's absence from the home to steal a stash of performance-enhancing drugs from the home. In order to divert the subsequent police investigation, the acquaintance-thief vandalized the home to create a false impression that the culprit was motivated by Trump-inspired jealous hatred of a successful African-American.

My four-part series of articles begins here.

gspencer said...

What you might see as too good for the police is in reality incredible stupidity on the part of the plotters.

Rule of the six Ps,

Proper
Planning &
Preparation
Prevent
Piss-poor
Performance

Bay Area Guy said...

The important thing is to nail Smollett (preferably a confession and plea bargain) which can serve as a deterrent to future hoax crimes.

Big settlements in the Covington Boys' defamation suits against the "Fake News" outlets will be welcome too.

traditionalguy said...

The competition is heaings up for for the Academy Awards in the Best Hoax Category. I say Christine Ford wins Best Actress for her little girl act, but the music written for the Nathan Phillips Encounter Catholis Boys entry is strong, and there is also the Best Costume Design in the Smollett entry, an entry that was only spoiled by some bad camera work.

wildswan said...

I think part of Smollett's problem is that these two men are not Nigerians, they were born and raised here. They would never have been confused for a moment (as an immigrant might have been) about how Smollett used them. And that's what Smollett tried to do - to tell these men this was some kind of stunt and involve them and then count on frightened silence from them when the actual story he told about their actions became big news. Or else Smollett knew the two were going to Nigeria on a preplanned trip and thought they might not even find out what he was doing. But CNN is everywhere. These men were Americans and they had to come back and live in this country and they saw their only hope was to tell the police their story right away. Since they were Americans, I expect they knew the police would find evidence if the police knew what really happened. Which they did.

Lipperman said...

Imagine this hoax crime was committed at 10 PM on a fair weather day. Reddit would still be busy analyzing surveillance video and doxing many innocent people.

Maillard Reactionary said...

As Glenn Reynolds has pointed out, the answer to any headline phrased as a question is always "No."

Gahrie said...

These guys were the Keystone cops of hoaxers. Not only is there video of them buying items used in the fake attack, police found the magazine they cut the letters out of to write the threatening letter still in their apartment..they didn't even throw it away!

Sebastian said...

"We are not racist. We are not homophobic, and we are not anti-Trump." But we were happy to help smear white Trump supporters and foment racist attacks on them.

"These people are stupid." They are, but they also count on prog cheering. Which happened, of course: Dems and the MSM fell over themselves decrying the outrage and accusing America of being a racist homophobic cesspit.

Victimhood chic only works as a prog tactic under prog hegemony.

Except that a few facts got in the way this time.

mockturtle said...

Isn't the evidence a little too good?

What are you implying? A setup?

Drago said...

TradGuy: "The competition is heaings up for for the Academy Awards in the Best Hoax Category. I say Christine Ford wins Best Actress for her little girl act, but the music written for the Nathan Phillips Encounter Catholis Boys entry is strong, and there is also the Best Costume Design in the Smollett entry, an entry that was only spoiled by some bad camera work."

I understand there may be a new categoru this year: "Best "LLR" in a Democrat Supporting Role"

Any nomination suggestions?

Anyone?

narciso said...

Its amusing except for the monies lost, manpower expended on this fraud.

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

MAKE NIGERIA GREAT AGAIN!

HoodlumDoodlum said...

and we are not anti-Trump

Well you tried to frame Trump supporters for a racist gay-bashing, so maybe you want to rethink that one, chief.

Is the evidence a little too good? No, criminals are stupid. It's entirely possible these guys didn't know the extent of what Smollet planned.

They've apparently told the police that lil' Jussie sent the threatening letter (with crushed up aspirin) to himself, by the way. That'll be some Federal problems, there.

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

"Apparently Jessie and his buds intended for this attack to get caught on the street security cameras. Did you all know that?"

Actually, I didn't. I thought Empire Fag Nigger (that's what he called himself, and out of all due respect, I refuse to use his slave name) picked the one spot where he COULDN'T be seen on camera, for plausibility. It turns out he saw the camera, even pointed it out to police, but didn't know it was facing the other way.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

I see what Althouse is getting at, what if you had to argue that Smollett was innocent. Perhaps the two brothers gave Smollet a beating while masquerading as MAGA supporters. Now that they’re caught, they are claiming he orchestrated a hoax. That would be a perfect crime.

Smollet initially told the public they were white men. Perhaps he thought they were or assumed they were. Or perhaps he shaded his story because he thought no one would believe what he thought was the truth, that he got beaten by two black MAGA supporters. The police report does not actually identify the assailants as white. In fact, it says “unknown” under demographics. So, if what he told the public is the only false fact, he didn’t make a false police report of it.

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

"Smollet initially told the public they were white men"

No. He gave the unmistakeable IMPLICATION that they were white, but he didn't SAY it.

Laslo Spatula said...

They could have really confused things by including Skittles and a can of Arizona watermelon tea in their purchase.

I am Laslo.

Fernandinande said...

You people are making me self-conscious about wearing my beautifying ski mask in public.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

" Perhaps the two brothers gave Smollet a beating while masquerading as MAGA supporters."

A beating? If those two wanted to administer a beating, Smollet would have ended up in the hospital. Instead, he had a few scratches on his face, like a girl who has been in a catfight.

Jussie wanted to look beat up, but hey, let's not make it look too bad! I'm an actor, I have to look pretty for the camera!

Unknown said...

> About three-quarters of African migrants speak English, and they have above-average rates of labor force participation. They are also much less likely to commit violent crimes than native-born Americans.

I work in oil - been in Lagos and Port Harcourt. You need an armed guard with machines guns to transport you from the airport to a compound. you don't leave the compound.

https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=24630

Crime is prevalent throughout Nigeria. Most crime directed toward Americans and U.S. private-sector entities in southern Nigeria is motivated by financial gain. U.S. visitors and residents have been victims of a wide range of violent crimes, including armed muggings, assaults, burglaries, carjackings, rapes, kidnappings, and extortion. The mostly commonly reported crimes are violent armed robberies, kidnap for ransom, and fraud. In addition, mainland of Lagos has experienced periodic outbreaks of violence, resulting from clashes among localized street gangs known as “Area Boys.”

U.S. citizens, Nigerians, and other expatriates have been victims of armed robbery at banks and grocery stores and on airport roads during all hours. Armed robbers have targeted occupants in vehicles; smash-and-grab robberies are common with thieves canvassing stopped vehicles for valuables. Thieves will break the vehicle’s window or simply reach in and grab items while a vehicle is stopped. Expatriates should cooperate if approached by an armed assailant or carjacker; resistance may cause the situation to escalate to violence.

Home invasions remain a serious threat with armed robbers targeting even guarded compounds. Perpetrators have scaled perimeter walls, followed residents/visitors, and/or subdued guards to gain entry. Armed robbers in Lagos have invaded waterfront compounds and businesses by boat, using the Lagos waterway as a means of escape.

Road Safety and Road Conditions

Local drivers typically disregard traffic laws. Scooters and motorcycles generally do not follow the rules of the road and often use sidewalks to maneuver around other vehicles. Traffic lights and signs, lanes, and highway divisions are often nonexistent or frequently go unheeded where they do exist. Formal driver’s training and enforcement of licensing are random. Drivers should try to remain a safe distance behind the vehicle ahead to allow space for avoidance maneuvers.

Kidnapping Threat

Kidnap-for-ransom (KFR) is a lucrative industry and continues to be a security concern nationwide. KFR is prevalent in southern Nigeria, and incidents targeting expatriates have been reported in the more affluent areas of Lagos. Kidnapping incidents are under-reported, and the rate of unconfirmed kidnappings continues to grow.

Most victims tend to be Nigerian dual citizens who return home from abroad for either a holiday or specific reason (death in the family/wedding) and are kidnapped due to their perceived Western affluence. However, multiple expatriates were targeted for kidnapping in 2017:

The U.S. Department of State has assessed Lagos as being a HIGH-threat location for terrorist activity directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Not Sure said...

If someone opines that evidence in a criminal case is "too good," that person is implying that someone (presumably the cops) fabricated it. This is so surpassingly dumb in the case of the store's surveillance video that the only reasonable explanation is that Althouse is trolling her readers again.

But just to be clear, the video was not found by the police, but by a remarkably enterprising local reporter:

CBS 2’s Charlie De Mar made multiple phone calls and visited several stores to obtain the video.

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

"Nigerian-Americans.... education levels are among the very highest in the U.S., above those of Asians, with 17 percent having a master’s degree."

So Obadabo and Abablaba must be the SMART Africans I've heard tell of!

Unknown said...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvAs1pos3TA

You sure you want the rest of it?

Every penny's worth, you black son of a bitch.

-- Scorpio, Dirty Harry

Amadeus 48 said...

What was Jussie thinking? He had a pretty sweet gig.

The spawn of activists just don't get a real picture of the world.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

284xp said: DBQ, the Nigerians are more Hans and Franz than Two Crazy Guys.

Right you are!!

I forgot about those guys.

Drago said...

Laslo Spatula: "They could have really confused things by including Skittles and a can of Arizona watermelon tea in their purchase."

Ouch.

Probably still too soon....

Unknown said...

> No. He gave the unmistakable IMPLICATION that they were white, but he didn't SAY it.

Claiming his attackers were not "Muslim or Mexican or someone black" implies they where Chinese Jewish Cowboys?

For sure, how he feels about you says a lot about you.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/jussie-smollett-in-first-tv-interview-youd-believe-me-if-i-said-attackers-were-black

“For me, the main thing was the idea that I somehow switched up my story, you know? And that somehow maybe I added a little extra trinket, you know, of the MAGA thing,” Smollett said. “I didn’t need to add anything like that. They called me a f----, they called me a n----. There’s no which way you cut it. I don’t need some MAGA hat as the cherry on top of some racist sundae.”

He decided to start talking about the attack to try to clear up the lies. “I have to acknowledge the lies, and the hate. And it feels like if I had said it was a Muslim, or a Mexican, or someone black, I feel like the doubters would have supported me much more. A lot more,” he said. “And that says a lot about the place that we are in our country right now.”

gilbar said...

Just in:
Smollett Faked Hate for Rate, Increase!

Drago said...

Amadeus 48: "What was Jussie thinking? He had a pretty sweet gig."

Look at it from Jussie's vantage point.

At this late date, despite literally hundreds and hundreds of lefty inspired and LLR/NeverTrumper supported hoaxes perpetrated and FULLY EXPOSED, not a single lefty hoaxer has ever been held accountable.

Anywhere.

Jussie would have to imagine that even if his story unraveled he could still count on 110% major media/lefty/dem/LLR/NeverTrumper support.

And he was right.

What Jussie, and in fact no lefty/LLR, ever figures out, is that at some point a critical inflection point is reached where the parameters of "the game" change.

And when that happens, as we have seen throughout history, events begin to unfold out of the control of those who believe they are the master of events.

Just look at what is happening to the lefties/LLR's hoax russian collusion/Trump campaign frame up. Somehow, despite all odds, and despite having his administration severely damaged by traitors, the lefties/LLR's no longer are in complete control of the narrative and, you could argue, the "moment" when maximum lefty/LLR pressure would have brought down any other single republican, here Trump stands and on the verge of a counter-attack opening.

Lefties and LLR Chuck, and all admitted and not-admitted smear artists really, hardest hit.

RobinGoodfellow said...

Blogger gilbar said...
what other Chicagoans have beat in to them: Don't Snitch.

Snitches Get Stitches is what they taught us in Hoffman Estates


They’re not from Chicago, so they probably didn’t get the memo.

Bay Area Guy said...

If you sent Jussie and the 2 Nigerian extras to law school, you'd have Strzok, McCabe & Comey.

Ray - SoCal said...

Amazing how much cameras have fallen in price, with increases in quality.

I’m not surprised at the quality.

RobinGoodfellow said...


Blogger Andrew said...
I appreciate that the Nigerian brothers are cooperating with police and prosecutors. But shouldn't they be charged with something?! Don't they deserve at least a misdemeanor charge for being accomplices?

As others have pointed out, suppose two white men had been arrested and charged with the hate crime. Would Smollett have said something? Would these brothers have intervened?


Probably given immunity in exchange for their testimony.

Unknown said...

The biggest give-away is that someone walking on the streets at 2 am who is not black, Mexican, or Muslim recognized him as "gay".

Empire had a 2.0 rating, or 6 million viewers.

He wasn't that famous.

walter said...

gilbar said...
Just in:
Smollett Faked Hate for Rate, Increase!
--
Yah..I call BS.
CPD trying to frame it as a workplace violation.
That CPD presser that just happened is ripe for an Altparse.

Drago said...

Bay Area Guy: "If you sent Jussie and the 2 Nigerian extras to law school, you'd have Strzok, McCabe & Comey."

Now now.

Jussie will suffer enough. I don't think unfair comparisons of him to schmucks only a LLR could respect are warranted at this point.

MacMacConnell said...

Jussie Smollett has three nick names, J-Boogie, Juicebox and Smitty. Which nick name will other inmates call Jussie if he serves time?



TheDopeFromHope said...

Smollett paid the two Nigerians by check. What did he put on the memo line? MAGA?

walter said...

In the presser, the contrast between the Chief and the investi-gator is big league.
Chief gives spiel then says investi-gator will now walk everyone through the timeline.
Investi-gator steps up and says "I'm here to answer questions"
One of the stranger details is that the lawyer for the Nigerian Milli-Vanilli claims they were "victims".
Investi-gator calls him Jessie throughout.

Nonapod said...

The Chicago PD Superintendent called Smollet "Despicable" in a press conference this morning. "This morning, I come to you... as a black man who spent his entire life living in the city of Chicago... Jussie Smollett took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career."

PB said...

Look for a link to Kamala Harris campaign. Jesse has campaign for her in the past and I wonder if this was orchestrated to set him up as a hate crime survivor so that he could add attention to her campaign by standing up there in proclaiming is survivorship and how he allegedly fought the f*** back and he could even sing at her campaign stops. Maybe he thought his profile being raised on its own would be enough or maybe he had had some conversations with elements of the Kamala Harris campaign about this in advance.

Fernandinande said...

"You will die, black fig."

Nonapod said...

Unfortunately, this is what can happen in a culture that glorifies victimhood. This is what can happen when you turn beaing a victim into an enviable position. Being a victim should never be something to be aspired to.

To be clear, I'm not saying that we shouldn't have sympathy or compassion for victims of real violence and hate. I'm not saying we shouldn't listen to their stories of survival if they're willing to tell them. We need to understand why bad things happen in order to avoid them happening again. What I'm saying is that we should be careful not to inadvertently glamorize them.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

"Jussie Smollett sent HIMSELF letter saying ‘you will die, black f*g’ and exploited ‘pain of racism’ to boost his career with staged assault, cops say "

geez. Trump hate is a cult.

walter said...

Maybe claiming it as a salary negotiating venture keeps this out of "hate crime" status.
You know..paying by check kinda supports this. Check his Quickbooks entries under marketing expenses ;)

Known Unknown said...

"My four-part series of articles begins here."

What does this have to do with Dirty Dancing?

Known Unknown said...

"Jussie Smollett sent HIMSELF letter saying ‘you will die, black f*g’ and exploited ‘pain of racism’ to boost his career with staged assault, cops say "

That's a Federal offense and will be the thing that will really bring him down. None of this CPD stuff matters if the Feds decide to charge him on the letter.

Pillage Idiot said...

Char Char wrote,

"Apparently Jessie and his buds intended for this attack to get caught on the street security cameras. Did you all know that?"

Actually, I didn't. I thought Empire Fag Nigger (that's what he called himself, and out of all due respect, I refuse to use his slave name) picked the one spot where he COULDN'T be seen on camera, for plausibility. It turns out he saw the camera, even pointed it out to police, but didn't know it was facing the other way.


Everyone in Hollywood told Jussie that the power and big bucks go to the directors who work "behind" the cameras.

Jussie then hatched his plan to also become famous by working from behind the cameras!

mockturtle said...

Playing the race card will be harder, now. Thanks, Jussie!

narciso said...

Hes already an entry in the urban dictionary Iim told

MaxedOutMama said...

Well, as long as the investigation can show that the (leaked) $3,500 changed hands, no evidence is "too good".

It's not just the word of the brothers against Smollett once the prosecutor has the evidence of payment in hand. Apparently they are going after his banking/financial records, so ...

I don't think the defense that the brothers are lying to get out of charges for what really was a homophobic attack (obviously racism is out) is going to fly. From the beginning the attack itself was absolutely incredible, because Smollett was not hurt. People who are nasty enough to do that type of thing are going to mess you up, at best. Now that the identities of the "attackers" are known, the attack story is even more incredible. Those two are bodybuilders - if they catch a guy with the aim of beating him up, that guy would be lucky to come out alive.

Who the heck stands still when a noose is put over his head by unknown attackers? No one. That's not something that seems casual. There would be rub marks and a lot of damage just from that. The story told about the "attack" in the first place didn't match with Smollett's bodily state - or the state of his clothes.

Admittedly, this is a heck of a bizarre story. But either the brothers ginned this up (taking a heck of risk) to actually hurt Smollett, and were responsible for the letter as well, or the police have it right.

Given the potential seriousness of the letter charges, Smollett can't come clean on this. He has to clam up and hope that at least the evidence regarding the letter is not sufficient to sustain charges. And that's what his lawyer(s) will tell him to do - force the authorities to make the case.

mockturtle said...

That's a Federal offense and will be the thing that will really bring him down. None of this CPD stuff matters if the Feds decide to charge him on the letter.

Yes, and the police found the magazines from which the text had been cut to make the letter.

Yancey Ward said...

Left Bank wrote:

"I see what Althouse is getting at, what if you had to argue that Smollett was innocent. Perhaps the two brothers gave Smollet a beating while masquerading as MAGA supporters. Now that they’re caught, they are claiming he orchestrated a hoax. That would be a perfect crime"

That might work on a jury dumb enough to believe it.

Seeing Red said...

.. Jussie Smollett took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career."

It’s so much easier if you could check a box based on family lore.

Seeing Red said...

And cheaper.

Birkel said...

Bad criminal are worse at crime than cops are at uncovering crime. New at 11.

For some reason, even with anosmia, Althouse smells a rat. Serendipity.

walter said...

I don't think the letter/fed crime issue was mentioned in presser. Ghi news not mentioning it either.
"Surprisingly"

walter said...

What struck me about the presser was lack of the word "alleged".
It was oddly absolute out of the gate..even when ascribing motive.

walter said...

I mean, his aspirations as expressed via twitter extend far beyond career..save the world, etc.
In his GMA interview he called himself "an advocate".
But if he lied about the whole hoax, why should they take his word that it was about salary?

Seeing Red said...

If they’re trotting out we aren’t filled with hate, they know they can be facing serious charges.

Yancey Ward said...

One might think, though, that the two brothers were covering their asses if the operation went tits up, which it did. As far as I can tell, they committed no crimes- the only thing you can possibly charge them with is a conspiracy to commit the crime Smollett is charged with so far, but they are the key witnesses so would be given immunity in any case brought forward.

Also, as someone else above pointed out- this video wasn't uncovered by the police investigators- it was an actual journalist (a unicorn these days).

Mike Sylwester said...

Known Unknown at 10:47 AM
What does this have to do with Dirty Dancing?

It's not on my Dirty Dancing blog. I write several blogs.

Seeing Red said...

It’s always ‘68 somewhere.

Lucid-Ideas said...

Yet another of my "Bayesian predictability assumptions" just entered my head...

Odds that Jussie kills himself?

This is going to drag out for a very long time

Daily if not weekly updates...

He'll be released on bail...

The PR battle is over. He lost...

It's "optics" are EXCEEDINGLY poor for several 2020 frontrunners and this is the faux-hate crime that's going to stick. This one isn't going away. They can't make it go away it is so utterly awful.

I hope he doesn't because it's cowardince doubled-down on cowardice but I wouldn't be shocked at this point if he kill himself, possibly shortly upon posting bond.

walter said...

Studio d'Empire: "...considering our options."
Good luck with that.

walter said...

BTW, Cinespace studio was reportedly shut down for some time when the white powder/cartoon threat letter came in.
That means $$$$

FullMoon said...

Let's not forget this guy wanted to start race riots with his scam. And let's not forget he said his attackers were white, which seems to be overlooked by all the media.

That being sadi, I still smile at the Nigerians buying clothesline for a Hanging Rope. Cotton clothesline, one notch above shoe laces. Cherry on top, Jussie dumb enough to use it as a prop.

FIDO said...

Are you going to believe a Liberal Ideologue or your lying eyes?

FIDO said...

"Not even the big-name, social justice blacks from the past are standing by him..."


***


Well, he's gay, you see...


That and it is very hard to be a millionaire star on a HBO production at the top of the entertainment world, getting free shit and also be 'oppressed'.

alanc709 said...

I heard somewhere that Jussie Smollett should get an Emmy for his performance on GMA's Robin Roberts interview.

walter said...

He might plead PDTS

Bay Area Guy said...

@dope,

Smollett paid the two Nigerians by check. What did he put on the memo line? MAGA?

Heh! Heh!

These leftist criminals are stoooopid! (Thank God).


MikeR said...

I don't know why people are calling this a fake hate crime. This was a real hate crime. Smollett tried to frame Trump supporters as being racists. Because he hates them.

FullMoon said...

This is going to drag out for a very long time…

Already being spun.. "This takes away from actual victims, such as (so and so and the other one)

Should be "This is just the latest in a long line of fake hate crimes.

Fen said...

"That might work on a jury dumb enough to believe it"

Go outside, turn around 3 times, spit, curse and throw salt over your shoulder!

https://youtu.be/N1tyiWP9MS

FullMoon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
FullMoon said...

Given the potential seriousness of the letter charges, Smollett can't come clean on this. He has to clam up and hope that at least the evidence regarding the letter is not sufficient to sustain charges. And that's what his lawyer(s) will tell him to do - force the authorities to make the case.

Prison sentence, suspended. Probation, fine, therapy, community service.

Waiting for Las Vegas scenarios and odds to place a bet.

Ralph L said...

Is it still a federal crime if you threaten yourself by mail?

Jim at said...

He intended for this to start a riot...
He intended for this to be huge...
Violence against white people and Trump supporters was the ultimate goal...
That's what was intended here.


Exactly.

The story now is he did it to promote his career. Bullshit.
He did it to attack and smear an entire group of people who committed the ghastly crime of voting for the wrong person.

Fuck them. War.

Jim at said...

Its amusing except for the monies lost, manpower expended on this fraud.

No. It isn't.
It isn't amusing in the least.

Rabel said...

Is it possible that he has a way out of the false report charge because he was not the one to make the first report to the police, the 60 year old is named as making that report?

The Illinois statute is not specific about what constitutes a "report."

FullMoon said...

BabylonBee says:

While Empire actor Jussie Smollett has been having a tough week so far, there appears to be a silver lining: cable news channel CNN has offered Smollett a job as an investigative reporter and on-air anchor after witnessing his skills at fabricating a story entirely out of thin air.

CNN producers were reportedly impressed throughout the ongoing saga of Smollett’s apparent hoax attack on himself. They realized early on the facts didn’t add up but were fascinated with how well the actor kept the narrative going. An HR rep quickly reached out to Smollett to see if he’d be interested in taking on a position at the news organization after news broke that the entire thing was probably fabricated.

Nonapod said...

Prison sentence, suspended. Probation, fine, therapy, community service.

That's what I'm expecting. Although his acting career will be over. He'll be radioactive for decades. It's possible that maybe in some far off future time (like 40 years from now) he'll be forgiven.

Gahrie said...

He'll be radioactive for decades. It's possible that maybe in some far off future time (like 40 years from now) he'll be forgiven.

Tell that to Al Sharpton.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

"Yo- I need 2 guys to play the typical white redneck Trump supporter--
who do you got?"

I got Olabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo-- they'll be perfect!-- straight out of central casting, bro!

mikeski said...

Ralph L said...
Is it still a federal crime if you threaten yourself by mail?


It should be. Otherwise, who is at fault when your envelope full of fake anthrax spores gets mis-delivered to Jessie Smalls? The mailman? Or is it only a crime if you don't get your own threat in the mail?

Can you counter-sue for the misdelivery? Would it have to have been mailed certified?

DavidD said...

L-I,

Who benefits?

He’d likely do well to be watching his back.

No threat implied or endorsed.

buwaya said...

"Local drivers typically disregard traffic laws. Scooters and motorcycles generally do not follow the rules of the road and often use sidewalks to maneuver around other vehicles. Traffic lights and signs, lanes, and highway divisions are often nonexistent or frequently go unheeded where they do exist. Formal driver’s training and enforcement of licensing are random. Drivers should try to remain a safe distance behind the vehicle ahead to allow space for avoidance maneuvers."

This describes conditions in the Philippines precisely. Indeed it is typical of the Third World. I could add a vast library of experience besides, vis-a-vis the quirks of the road. You learn to deal.
If this was the worst of Nigeria's problems I would discount them.
It is however the human-predation risks there that are concerning.