Illinois prosecutor who dropped charges against Jussie Smollett to run for reelection

Kim Foxx, the top attorney in Cook County, Ill., announced in a press release Tuesday she will run for reelection, The Associated Press reports.

Foxx is the first black woman to hold the position, but she came under heavy criticism last year when her office suddenly dropped charges against actor Jussie Smollett.

Foxx said in her press release that she wanted to continue reforms to the criminal justice system in the county.

The announcement comes after a judge appointed a special prosecutor to investigate why the felony charges against Smollett were dropped.

Smollett had been charged with staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in Chicago earlier this year. The actor had initially claimed to have been attacked by two men, saying they had used racial and homophobic slurs against him and shouted “This is MAGA country” in reference to President Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan during the 2016 campaign. 

Foxx recused herself after she had talks with members of Smollett’s family.