Kim Foxx has been under fire since she made the decision to drop the charges against Jussie Smollett.
Ever since Jussie Smollett’s charges were dropped against him, Chicago State’s Attorney Kim Foxx has been facing serious backlash for her fice’s decision. In an op-ed she wrote earlier this month, she partially placing the blame on the Chicago Mayor and Chicago PD Superintendent’s press run while explaining why she dismissed Smollett’s charges. She recently addressed the criticism she’s been facing during an emotional speech at Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.’s event this weekend.
.jpg)
Vivien Killilea/Getty s
Many have called for Kim Foxx to resign from her position as State’s Attorney but she won’t fold under pressure. During a speech at Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.’s Rainbow Push Coalition, she doubled down on her decision to dismiss the charges against Smollett, explaining that she’s treated the case the same way she did for thousands other defendants with similar charges that were dropped.
“The efforts that I’ve had on criminal-justice reform, that were once celebrated by many in this county, are now being attacked because one case and one celebrity,” she said. “I cannot run an fice that is driven by anger and public sentiment.”
Foxx also suggested that race might play a factor in the amount criticism she’s been facing, including calls for her resignation.
“I have been asking myself for the last two weeks what is this really about,” she said. “As someone who has lived in this city, who came up in the projects 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,” she continued. “This is personal.”