An internal probe has been launched after details of the high profile investigation leak out
Police investigating Empire actor Jussie Smollett’s case about filing a false report have now launched an internal probe into the leaking of details over the past couple weeks.
The Chicago Police Department are looking into concerns that specific details about their investigation into 36-year-old Jussie were leaked to the media, causing a ‘slew of inaccurate information’ going into the pubic domain.
TMZ has reported that the Chief of Detectives started looking into the leaks to find who was passing on information from the department.
A spokesman for Chicago PD said: “When there are allegations of information being leaked, an internal investigation has been opened and we are also looking at our vulnerabilities.”
The leaks had been brought to the forefront after Jussie’s attorney had taken aim at the police for letting information out, which he felt was jeopardising the actor’s case.
The investigation had previously been defended by Superintendent Eddie T. Johnson, who has indicated that police believe there is ‘overwhelming evidence’ that Jussie had paid two Nigerian brothers to attack him.
It has been alleged that the attack was part of a ‘staged hate crime’ as he looked to force Empire bosses into paying him a higher wage.
Speaking about Jussie’s claims that he is innocent, Eddie Johnson said: “He still has the presumption of evidence and he’ll get his opportunity in court if he chooses to go that route.
“I can tell you this, there’s a lot more evidence that has not been presented yet that does not support his version of the incident.”
As well as an investigation into leaks, there have been reports that dozens of nurses were fired from Northwestern Memorial Hospital, for looking at Jussie’s medical records.
Speaking about the incident, one nurse told CBS Chicago that she had just scrolled past Jussie’s records when looking for another patient’s file.
The nurse claimed that others were axed for similar actions, after Jussie had gone to the hospital following the alleged attack on January 29.