Now that the slew of charges against actor and alleged hoaxer Jussie Smollett have been dropped in an obscene display of privilege, it is prudent for law enforcement to look into other ways to bring him to justice.

Chicago city officials have made the first move by ordering the actor to pay $130,000 to cover the cost of the investigation into his outlandish report of being attacked by MAGA hat wearing racists on a frigid morning in plain sight. The money will cover the intense effort to hunt down Smollett’s “attackers.”

While talking to reporters on Thursday, President Trump hinted that federal law enforcement may get involved in the Smollett affair. “I think the case in Chicago is an absolute embarrassment to our country,” he said. “And I have asked that it be — that they look at it. Somebody has to at least take a very good hard look.”

The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President Kevin Graham told CNN that he also wanted the feds to take a look at the case. Particularly text messages that purport to show Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff influencing the state’s attorney about Smollet’s situation. “We want to make sure that the Justice Department takes a very hard look with that case and what went on today,” he told CNN.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel got straight to the point. “To me, it makes no sense. It makes no legal sense, no common sense and this is an abomination in my sense of justice,” Emanuel said.

Shortly after the news broke that charges were dropped in the Smollett case, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson spoke to the press. “At the end of the day, it’s Mr. Smollett who committed this, this, this, this hoax. Period. If he wanted to clear his name, the way to do that was in a court of law, so that everyone could see the evidence,” Johnson said. “I stand by the facts of what we produced,” he continued. “If they want to dispute those facts, then the place to do that is in court. Not secrecy.”

Smollett himself spoke to the press after leaving the Chicago courtroom on Tuesday, just after the announcement. “I have been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one,” he said. “I would not be my mother’s son if I was capable of one drop of what I’ve been accused of. This has been an incredibly difficult time — honestly one of the worst of my entire life.”

Jussie Smollett’s alleged attempt to stage a hate crime was clumsy and disjointed but still a horrendous affront to real victims of crime, to Trump voters across the country, to his own community and to law enforcement.

The parties who orchestrated his release did him no favors. He will forever be seen as an active conman rather than an ex-con who paid his dues to society. For everyone’s sake, we must hope that federal authorities are able to charge him and justice finds him.