Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff, Tina Tchen, evaded a subpoena related to her intervention in the Jussie Smollett case on Wednesday.
Allegedly, Tchen had tried to sway the case involving the assertion that the black gay actor had staged an attack on himself for publicity that was abruptly dropped by conversing with Foxx, telling her that one of Smollet’s family members had concerns about the investigation’s portrayal.
Take a look at this breaking news that hit Twitter:
Tchen was instructed to bring with her all documents, records, calls, texts, etc. that she had relating to her conversations with prosecutor Kim Foxx regarding Smollett, but she flat out refused the court's demand.
See the subpoena for yourself here:
What are you trying to hide from, Tchen?
The truth?
The New York Post has more to say:
A former top aide to Michelle Obama refused to be served a subpoena Wednesday related to her contact with Chicago prosecutor Kim Foxx in the Jussie Smollett case.
The subpoena was issued by former Illinois Appellate Judge Sheila O’Brien as part of her request for a special prosecutor to investigate the Cook County state’s attorney’s handling of Smollett’s criminal case, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
O’Brien wants the former first lady’s one-time chief of staff, Tina Tchen, to produce “any and all documents, notes, phone records, texts, tape recordings made or received at any time, concerning [Tchen’s] conversations with Kim Foxx in re: Jussie Smollett” at a May 31 hearing.
But Tchen wouldn’t accept the subpoena, according to the process server.
Tchen, an attorney in Chicago, intervened in the Smollett case by telling Foxx that a member of the “Empire” star’s family had “concerns” about her office’s probe, the Sun-Times previously reported.
Chicago Sun Times also gave the following details on Tchen's evasion of the subpoena:
Chicago attorney Tina Tchen — who was in contact with Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx before the charges were dropped against former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett — refused to be served with a subpoena on Wednesday, according to the process server.
Tchen, who previously served as former First Lady Michelle Obama’s chief of staff, refused to accept a subpoena that was issued by former Illinois Appellate Judge Sheila O’Brien.
O’Brien is petitioning for the appointment of a special prosecutor to look into the state’s attorney’s office’s handling of the Smollett case. She is calling for Tchen to attend a May 31 hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse and bring with her copies of “any and all documents, notes, phone records, texts, tape recordings made or received at any time, concerning [Tchen’s] conversations with Kim Foxx in re: Jussie Smollett.”
Edward Ryan, who operates a private investigation firm in the southwest suburbs, said one of his process servers went to Tchen’s law firm in River North on Wednesday, but she refused to come to the lobby to accept the subpoena.
Ryan said the security guard in the building’s lobby would not let the process server upstairs. The guard called Tchen in her office and “she said she knew about” the subpoena, but refused to come down.
“I don’t know why she’d turn it down. She’ll be served eventually,” Ryan said.
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