Be sure to read John’s earlier post on the Smollett case first, in which he asked what in the hell was going on in Chicago. A couple of guys in Second City would like to know that too. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police superintendent Eddie Johnson held a press conference to vent their anger over the deal Kim Foxx gave Jussie Smollett. With Smollett now proclaiming his innocence again, Johnson demands an apology … or two:

BREAKING: Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson on dropping of Jussie Smollett charges: "Do I think justice was served? No…I think this city is still owed an apology." https://t.co/B2ahaJAW4t pic.twitter.com/l7Lj63fMgO — ABC News (@ABC) March 26, 2019

Johnson isn’t backing away from the case, either. He angrily insisted that Smollett’s claim was “a hoax, period.” If Smollett felt otherwise, well, Johnson said Smollett could have his day in court:

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson: "At the end of the day, it is Mr. Smollett who committed this hoax, period. If he wanted to clear his name, the way to do that is in a court of law so everyone can see the evidence…I stand by the facts of what we produced" pic.twitter.com/Pxvc2PNyIj — CBS News (@CBSNews) March 26, 2019

Looks like Smollett decided to have his day in the media instead. Rahm Emanuel then took over the microphone, ripping Smollett for having the audacity to use the legacy of Matthew Shephard to promote his own career. Emanuel also tore into the district attorney’s office over the deal, calling it a “whitewash of justice,” emphasizing that the grand jury found plenty of evidence of crimes.

BREAKING: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on dropping of Jussie Smollett charges: "This is a whitewash of justice." https://t.co/B2ahaJSxt3 pic.twitter.com/UI65nAD8Rp — ABC News (@ABC) March 26, 2019

“He did this all in the name of self-promotion,” Emanuel emphasized. “A grand jury could not have been clearer.”

Despite all of the fulminating at this press conference, there’s little that can now be done about the situation — at least in Chicago. Now that the charges have been adjudicated in this deal, jeopardy has attached. The city of Chicago can’t recharge Smollett, and it’s doubtful that the state could do so either. That doesn’t mean that Smollett’s off the hook, however. The FBI is still investigating the threat letter received by Empire‘s production studios a week or so before the hoax attack. If they can tie that back to Smollett, he could face federal charges for sending threats and a hoax through the US mail. They haven’t charged anyone yet, however.

Of more interest now is the war developing in Chicago between the police and the district attorney’s office. That might do a lot of damage to law enforcement in the city, especially if police decide to start investigating Foxx and the office for any corruption or payoffs. That might tie up Chicago’s thin resources even more than usual, in a city that desperately needs more coordination and efficiency in law enforcement. This political civil war will be no laughing matter.