Jussie Smollett Orchestrated Hoax "Attack" says CNN

CNN: Evidence suggests Jussie Smollett orchestrated attack.

Two law enforcement sources with knowledge of the investigation told CNN that Chicago Police believe Jussie Smollett paid two men to orchestrate the assault.

The brothers, who were arrested Wednesday, were released without charges Friday after Chicago police cited the discovery of "new evidence." The sources told CNN that the two men are now cooperating fully with law enforcement.
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CNN's attempts to reach both Smollett's representative and attorney Saturday were unsuccessful.

Using the Liberal Standard of, "If you've done nothing wrong, and have nothing to hide, then why would you not fully cooperate," which is what, to me, was the beginning of the unraveling of Smollett's "I was attacked" story.

USA MacPaper: Jussie Smollett GMA interview.

During his "GMA" interview, Smollett addressed his initial refusal to give his phone to authorities, which he said was due to concern for his privacy.

“Because I have private pictures and videos and numbers," he explained, noting his phone contains "my partner’s number, my (family members numbers), my castmates' numbers, my friends' numbers, my private emails, my private songs, my private voice memos.”

Well...as long as those photos, videos, numbers, songs, voice memos are all within what is "legal", what is there to be concerned about? What is there to be paranoid about in handing over to the police the telephone numbers of family, friends, cast members? Why would this be a concern of "privacy" for him? What does Smollett think the PD will do with his "private" data?

From the same USA MacPaper link:

"And I see the attacker, masked and he said, 'This MAGA country, (N-word).' Punches me right in the face," Smollett continued. "So I punched his (expletive) back. And then we started tussling and it was very icy.

"We ended up tussling by the stairs, fighting, fighting, fighting," Smollett added. "There was a second person involved who was kicking me in my back, and then it just stopped. And they ran off.”

The image above is of Mr. Smollett after the attack. If this attack actually happened, it seems the attackers were pretty weak. That's not much of a "punch in the face". Maybe the damage - the bruises and swelling - were more visible in the days after, sometimes that happens.

The NY Post:  Suspicious bottle found near site of Smollett attack.

Last week, The Post traced Smollett’s likely route to the underpass from a 24-hour Subway sandwich shop where he bought a tuna sandwich and a salad.

Near the foot of a stairwell to the Loews, The Post found an empty hot sauce bottle that was partially filled with a clear liquid that smelled like bleach.

Over the past two weeks, Chicago received considerable snowfall. How did this bottle survive sidewalk shoveling or snow-sweepers? This bottle went undisturbed for almost two weeks?

 More details on the bottle at HaveuHeard.