Report: Michelle Obama's Ex-Chief of Staff Asked for Jussie Smollett Case to Be Brought to FBI

A former aide to Michelle Obama asked the State's Attorney for Cook County, Illinois to request that the city's probe into Empire star Jussie Smollett's alleged hate attack be turned over to the FBI, USA Today reports. According to emails and texts released by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office Wednesday, Tina Tchen—formerly Michelle Obama’s chief of staff while she was first lady—contacted Kim Foxx on Feb. 1 via text. At that point, Smollett was still considered a victim in the probe into a racial and homophobic attack he said he suffered in late January. “Spoke to the Superintendent Johnson,” Foxx emailed Tchen the same day, reportedly referring to Chicago Police Department superintendent Eddie Johnson. “I convinced him to Reach out to FBI to ask that they take over the investigation.” Foxx also reportedly contacted one of Smollett's relatives to say that she had spoken with Johnson about turning over the case. “Omg this would be a huge victory,” the relative reportedly responded. “I make no guarantees, but I’m trying,” Foxx is said to have written back. Before Smollett was charged with disorderly conduct for filing a false police report and allegedly staging the attack, Foxx recused herself from the probe.