(CNN) Jussie Smollett "will not be intimidated into paying" $130,106.15 to reimburse Chicago for investigating his claim he was the victim of a hate crime, his attorneys say.

The city's demand for payment is meant to "harass and irreparably injure Mr. Smollett," his attorneys said in a letter to the city Thursday.

The letter was shared with CNN by Chicago's Department of Law.

Last week, city spokesman Bill McCaffrey said Smollett must pay within seven days "to help offset the costs of the investigation" into his alleged attack.

The demand was made after a prosecutor dropped all charges against the "Empire" actor . Smollett, who is black and gay, had been accused of staging the attack on himself to bolster his profile and career.

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