Paid and Rehearsed

So is he still being treated as a "victim" Ed?

• Jussie Smollett paid two brothers to stage an attack against him, directed them to buy items used in the alleged assault and actually rehearsed it with them, sources say.
  
  Sources say at least one of the brothers bought the rope used in the incident at Smollett’s request. The sources also say the “Empire” actor paid for the rope, which was purchased at the Crafty Beaver Hardware Store in the Ravenswood neighborhood the weekend of Jan. 25.
  
  The brothers, who were questioned by police this week before being released, were paid $3,500 before leaving for Nigeria and were promised an additional $500 upon their return.
  
  They left for Nigeria later in the day on Jan. 29, after the attack.
  
  Sources said one of the brothers held the rope and poured bleach while the other wore a plain red hat and yelled slurs at Smollett.
  
  The sources say the red hat was bought at an Uptown beauty supply store and that the attack was supposed to happen before Jan. 29. The brothers told detectives the three men rehearsed the attack days prior to it happening.

This would be hilarious if it hadn't cost taxpayers untold tens of thousands of dollars and short-changed investigations of actual crimes....like one-year-old kids getting shot in the head. That crime hasn't had even a quarter of the manpower assigned that this hoax did.

Good job by the Detectives. We're thinking you aren't going to get any public recognition for going above and beyond for this case though.