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Independent counsel faults Chicago prosecutor's dismissal of Jussie Smollett case

Former "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett appears in a courtroom at the Leighton Criminal Court Building for his arraignment, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., February 24, 2020. (Reuters)

A court-appointed independent counsel on Monday found Chicago prosecutors abused their discretion and may have violated legal ethics by dropping charges that former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett falsely reported he was attacked.

The allegations are the latest twist in a dizzying swirl of claims and counter-claims in the case that began in January 2019 when Smollett, who is black and openly gay, told police he was accosted on a darkened street in a hate crime by two masked strangers.

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