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2019 Man of the Year: Chicago Police Department

Chicago PD
Getty Images
December 28, 2019

When Empire star Jussie Smollett reported that he had been attacked by Trump-supporting racists and homophobes, the Chicago Police Department answered the call of duty. Little did they know their extensive search would turn up a different perpetrator.

In a surprise to all, it turned out that Chicago's North Side is not actually home to lynching Klansmen who believe it is "MAGA Country." But it is home to a lying sociopath afraid of being written out of a TV show. Smollett's lies cost the Chicago police thousands of man hours and $130,000 in overtime pay, but through pure grit, determination, and keeping an open mind to all possibilities, they eventually uncovered the truth.

Sadly, the department was betrayed by their supposed allies in the justice system. After pretending to recuse herself from the case, Smollett friend and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx announced a deal through which the actor would face no jail time, admit no crimes, and forfeit only his $10,000 bail. That crooked deal is now under investigation by the FBI.

Hopefully, justice will eventually be done. But for now, for exposing an attention-seeking, conservative-smearing fabulist, the Chicago Police Department is a Washington Free Beacon Man of the Year.

Published under: Men of the Year