CHICAGO — A judge has appointed a special prosecutor to investigate the decision by Cook County prosecutors to dismiss all charges against actor Jussie Smollett.

On Friday, Cook County Judge Michael Toomin suggested Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx mishandled the case by appointing a top aide to handle it after she recused herself.

Foxx has been under fire for her handling the probe into the former “Empire” actor’s claims that he was the victim of a racial and homophobic attack by two men in January. Foxx’s office charged Smollett with 16 counts of disorderly conduct after police announced that their investigation showed that Smollett staged the attack on himself.

Foxx’s office stunningly dropped all of the charges weeks later, prompting a former state appellate judge to push for a special prosecutor.

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