Special prosecutor appointed to investigate why charges were dropped against Empire actor Jussie Smollett

Photo credit : Photo by Dominick D [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

A judge has named a special prosecutor to look into why state prosecutors abruptly dropped charges against actor Jussie Smollett that accused him of staging a racist, anti-gay attack against himself.

Illinois Cook County Judge Michael Toomin‘s appointment of former U.S. attorney Dan Webb during a hearing raises the possibility that the special prosecutor could bring new charges against the former Empire actor.

County state’s attorney, Kim Foxx, said that she will give the special prosecutor her ‘full cooperation.’ It has been suggested that she mishandled the Smollett case by appointing a top aide to oversee it after she recused herself the case, dailymail.co.uk reports.