Jussie Smollett — 2 State’s Attorney Deputies Resign Amid Kim Foxx Scandal

Jussie Smollett, Kim Foxx

Jussie Smollett — 2 State’s Attorney Deputies Resign Amid Kim Foxx Scandal

While Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx is under fire for leaked text messages concerning Jussie Smollett’s case, two deputies in her office have resigned. One resigning deputy is an ethics officer, April Perry, who announced Foxx recused herself from the hazy Smollett case.

Perry was appointed to her position two years ago, marking the first chief ethics officer. She resigned Wednesday and revealed via an email to her colleagues that she accepted a position as general counsel for a new tech company, according to reports Thursday.

The other deputy resigning is Mark Rotert, a well-known prosecutor and civil attorney. Perry is his supervisor. He was recognized for updating the method the state’s attorney office used to evaluate wrongful conviction claims. He submitted his resignation on March 27. This was just a day before the state’s attorney dropped the case against Smollett. Still, he’s said he wasn’t connected tot he case at all until just recently, when he was a middle man between Foxx and Patrick Blanchard, Cook County Inspector General. Those two were conducting an evaluation of the nature of the Smollett case. Rotert said he was able to serve as a liaison because he had no involvement with Smollett’s case.

Jussie Smollett

Rotert and Perry are scheduled to leave May 3. Now, the state’s attorney office is almost completely new since Foxx took the spot in 2016. She sent an email to the staff and informed them of a goodbye party that would be held for Rotert and Perry.

Smollett was charged with 16 felony counts for allegedly lying to police about being attacked by two men who yelled racial and homophobic insults toward him. Foxx was the prosecutor of the case, but soon dropped the charges. Still, the drama surrounding the incident resurfaced earlier this week when text messages between Foxx and her assistant, just two weeks before the charges were dropped. In the texts, she called Smollett a “washed up celeb who lied to cops,” and said the 16 counts against him were too aggressive. Smollett has maintained his innocence and insists he was truly attacked. Still, he’s facing a lawsuit from the city of Chicago for the cost of the investigation.

What do you think about the changes in the office? Tell us in the comments!