Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel slammed Jussie Smollett just hours after charges against the "Empire" actor were dropped, calling the dismissal a "whitewash of justice."

"A grand jury could not have been clearer," Emanuel said Tuesday. "Where is the accountability in the system?"

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"You cannot have, because of a person’s position, one set of rules apply to them and one set of rules apply to everybody else," Emanuel continued as he stood alongside Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson.

In an unexpected move, prosecutors announced earlier in the day that they had dropped charges in their case against Smollett. The 36-year-old had been charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false report after he told Chicago police he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in January.

Earlier this month, he was indicted on 16 felony counts by a grand jury in Cook County, Ill.

"After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollet’s volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case," the Cook County State's Attorney's Office said in a statement about the decision to dismiss charges.

But Emanuel eviscerated Smollett in his remarks Tuesday, saying the $10,000 bond "doesn’t even come close on what the city spent in resources."

Emanuel also pointed to the "ethical cost" of the case, saying for future victims of hate crimes, "now this casts a shadow of whether they’re telling the truth."

"[Smollett] did this all in the name of self-promotion," he said.

"You have a person using hate crime laws that are on the books to protect people who are minorities from violence, to then turn around and use those laws to advance your career and your financial reward. Is there no decency in this man?" Emanuel asked reporters in Chicago.

"It is wrong, full stop," he said.

Johnson concurred with Emanuel, saying the "city is still owed an apology" by Smollett.

"Do I think justice was served? No," said Johnson, who had blasted Smollett in a news conference announcing the charges against the actor last month.