The suit comes after Smollett refused a demand that he send the city $130,106 to reimburse Chicago for overtime as police sought to verify Smollett’s account. Reached by phone Thursday evening, a spokeswoman for Smollett’s legal team said there wasn’t an immediate comment on the lawsuit. To the city’s advantage, the threshold for proof will be lower than in criminal court. The city won’t have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt Smollett staged the attack in civil court, only that it’s more likely true than not true that he did. It’s also unclear if Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot is onboard with the Emanuel administration’s determination to keep legal pressure on Smollett.

Source: National Post April 11, 2019 23:55 UTC