Illinois Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush has taken shots at the Chicago Police Union, going as far as calling them "the sworn enemy of black people." Rush is pushing back against the controversy that surrounds prosecutor Kim Foxx and the way her office has handled the Jussie Smollett case.
Rush tore into Chicago's Fraternal Order of Police during a press conference on Saturday. This was after members of the union demanded that Cook County State's Attorney Foxx resign from her position.
“The FOP is the sworn enemy of black people, the sworn enemy of black people,” Rush said on Saturday. “The FOP has always taken the position that black people can be shot down in the street by members of the Chicago Police Department, and suffer no consequences.”
https://twitter.com/Cameron_Gray/status/1114898970541686784
“Let’s be clear: Kim Foxx, her battle, is with the FOP and all of their cohorts," Rush added.
These comments came in reply to the hundreds of protesters who were gathered outside Foxx's office last week. There were counter-protests from groups such as the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.
Kim Foxx vowed to remain in her role as Cook County state’s attorney Saturday despite intense controversy over her handling of the Jussie Smollett case. https://t.co/vpXYhlWp6R
— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) April 6, 2019
“The injection of white nationalists in this conversation for me, I will tell you personally, I was afraid,” Foxx said on Saturday. “I would certainly hope that the FOP and whatever their disagreements may be, whatever concerns that they may have about my ability or leadership, would at least expect the people of their union to not inject racism or white nationalists into the conversation.”
In response the union told The Chicago Tribune that the comments by Rush were "ignorant, offensive, malicious and false.”
“These outrageous and irresponsible comments have demeaned each and every Chicago Police Officer, regardless of their race,” the union said according to reports.
Foxx came under fire when her office decided to dismiss charges against Smollett that he faked a hate crime. She claims that the "Empire" star did not receive any special treatment when his charges were dismissed.
“I have been asking myself for the last two weeks what is this really about,” Foxx said on Saturday. “As someone who has lived in this city, who came up in the projects of this city to serve as the first African American woman in this role, it is disheartening to me…that when we get in these positions somehow the goalposts change.”
Throughout the entire process, Smollett has maintained his innocence. While speaking with Fox News, Smollett's attorney told Fox News they have "witnessed an organized law enforcement spectacle that has no place in the American legal system. The presumption of innocence, a bedrock in the search for justice, was trampled upon at the expense of Mr. Smollett and notably, on the eve of a Mayoral election. Mr. Smollett is a young man of impeccable character and integrity who fiercely and solemnly maintains his innocence betrayed by a system that apparently wants to skip due process and proceed directly to sentencing.”
