Graham, who spoke to reporters after prosecutors announced they were dropping charges against Smollett, said he originally made the request to the US Department of Justice last week. He also has asked federal investigators to look into a letter sent to Smollett days before he alleged he was attacked on a Chicago street.
“We’re doubling down on that. We want to make sure that the Justice Department takes a very hard look with that case and what went on today,” he said.
Text messages obtained by CNN through an open records request show Smollett family friend Tina Tchen — a former chief of staff for first lady Michelle Obama and a lawyer — reached out to Foxx on February 1. Tchen wrote the family had “concerns about the investigation.”
Foxx emailed Tchen saying in part, “Spoke to Superintendent (Eddie) Johnson. I convinced him to (r)each out to FBI to ask that they take over the investigation. He is reaching out now and will get back to me shortly.”
Later another person, identified by Foxx’s office as a family friend, asked the prosecutor whether they could talk on the phone. She says Tchen gave her Foxx’s number.
Hours later, Foxx texts the unidentified family friend that she “spoke to the (police) superintendent earlier, he made the ask. Trying to figure out the logistics.” The person responds: “Omg this would be a huge victory.”
Foxx and the family friend exchanged text messages until February 13, Cook County State Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton said earlier this month.
Foxx told WLS that when she spoke to Smollett’s family members, he was still thought to be the victim of a possible hate crime, and it is not unusual for her speak to the families of victims.
She thought there was a lot of misinformation in the media, and that if the FBI were to handle the case that would cut down on the number of leaks in the case.
Efforts to get a comment from the Department of Justice were unsuccessful.