OPINION | This article contains commentary that reflects the author's opinion.
A number of top Democrats came rushing to the defense of now-convicted felon Jussie Smollett in 2019 despite a seemingly absurd police report, which was recently proven false in court.
“We are with you, Jussie,” Joe Biden wrote to Twitter.
MSNBC’s Al Sharpton said the “hate crime” was “despicable and outrageous,” adding that “the guilty must face the maximum.”
Vice President Kamala Harris said Smollett is “one of the kindest, most gentle human beings,” and added that “this was an attempted modern day lynching.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Lori Lightfoot, Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders, Rashida Tlaib, MSNBC’s Joy Reid, and Democrat Eric Swalwell are among others who spoke out for Smollett.
One comment stood out in particular from Democrat Rep. Maxine Waters of California.
“Jussie is my friend,” she began. “A very talented & beautiful human being.”
“It is so hurtful that homophobic haters would dare hurt someone so loving and giving,” she continued.
“I’m dedicated to finding the culprits and bringing them to justice. Jussie did not deserve to be harmed by anyone,” Waters said.
Waters also said she considers him “like a son.”
Jussie is my friend – a very talented & beautiful human being. It is so hurtful that homophobic haters would dare hurt someone so loving and giving. I'm dedicated to finding the culprits and bringing them to justice. Jussie did not deserve to be harmed by anyone!
— Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) January 30, 2019
These comments have come back to haunt Democrats as Smollett was unanimously found guilty in front of a jury in federal court.
Smollett lied to police and created a false police report in January 2019 about being the victim of a racist and homophobic assault in Chicago, which never actually occurred. It was a political stunt to attack Republicans and Trump supporters shortly before an election year.
He claimed that he was assaulted by two people he described as white men who wearing MAGA hats.
“[The prosectution] has a really strong case,” legal expert and former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Fox News. The detailed evidence “includes phone records and texts between Smollett and his alleged hired attackers,” the report adds.
Smollet told police that his attackers shouted racial and homophobic slurs and poured an unknown chemical substance on him, which was possibly bleach. He claimed he was called a “f****t” and a “n*****.” If this wasn’t bad enough, Smollet added that they tied a noose around his neck because why not push the lies a bit further and more ridiculous.
The only problem is that police found out that Smollett paid his attackers $3,500 in order to carry out the fake hoax. In February 2019, Chicago police raided the home of the two alleged attackers.
The two alleged attackers, identified Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, are African American and not white, as Smollett claimed.
They had actually worked with Smollett as extras on the set of Smollet’s television show. They had purchased the rope found around Smollett’s neck at a hardware store in Ravenswood over the weekend of January 25. One of the attackers even said that they had a sexual and drug-fueled relationship with Smollett.
