CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Mayor Rahm Emanuel references Hamlet as he talked to reporters a day after all charges were dropped against actor Jussie Smollett.
"It doesn't add up. As I said yesterday, nothing here adds up," he said.
The Mayor said in a high profile case such as this, he and the police chief should've been informed of what was going to happen.
"Everybody was caught by surprise on how a decision was made on such a case," he said shaking his head.
"You have the State's Attorney's who said the police did a good job, they took all the material to the Grand Jury and they came back with 16 different indictments and they stand by that work that was done. You have an individual, because of his community service and the $10,000, he was actually responsible for a hoax of a hate crime. He is walking around saying he is a victim and has been exonerated. One of those is right. He is either a person who pulled a hoax around a hate crime for his racial background and sexual orientation; or he is totally a victim and innocent. But you both can't be right. And the city of Chicago deserves an answer. And they deserve an answer about accountability and responsibility in the system."
Smollett still claims he's innocent while the State's Attorney's office said they believe he did file a false police report. Emanuel said the taxpayers deserve answers.
"Yes, the taxpayers have put in a lot of resources in because we take the issue of a hate crime in our city serious. In the process of uncovering whether a hate crime happened, they found it was a hoax, which they stood by yesterday, the State's Attorney's office. The person that committed that hoax is walking around saying I'm innocent and everything I said is true. I would like a resolution and a sense of accountability and responsibility of who is right."
When asked if the city would sue Smollett to recoup the costs spent on the case, the Mayor refused to answer.