Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel called the dropping of charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett "a whitewash of justice."
The comments Tuesday came after prosecutors dropped charges accusing Smollett of lying to police about a racist and homophobic attack in downtown Chicago.
Prosecutors haven't explained why they made the surprise decision and haven't said if they still maintain Smollett orchestrated the incident.
Smollett told reporters earlier that he'd been "truthful and consistent on every single level since day one."
Emmanuel, who is in his final weeks in office after two terms, said the city saw its reputation "dragged through the mud" by Smollett's plan to promote his career. The hoax, the mayor said, could endanger other gay people who report hate crimes.
"Now this casts a shadow of whether they're telling the truth, and he did this all in the name of self-promotion," he said.
Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson stood by the department's investigation and said Chicago is "is still owed an apology."
"I've heard that they wanted their day in court with TV cameras so that America could know the truth. They chose to hide behind secrecy and broker a deal to circumvent the judicial system," Johnson said at a graduation ceremony for new police cadets.
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