PURCHASE IN THE REGION.
IT INVOLVES CONVERTIBLE NOTES AS
WELL AS CASH.
>>> TODAY A STUNNING REVERSAL IN
THE CASE OF "EMPIRE" ACTOR
JUSSIE SMOLLETT.
THE COOK COUNTY STATE ATTORNEY'S
OFFICE DROPPING ALL CHARGES
AGAINST SMOLLETT IN THE ALLEGED
HATE CRIME HOAX.
CHICAGO'S MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL
BLASTED THE PROSECUTOR'S
DECISION.
>> THIS IS A WHITEWASH OF
JUSTICE.
A GRAND JURY COULD NOT HAVE BEEN
CLEARER, YOU CANNOT HAVE OF A
PERSON'S DECISION, ONE SET OF
RULES APPLY TO THEM AND ANOTHER
SET OF RULES APPLY TO EVERYBODY
ELSE.
CHARLES: JOINING ME ATTORNEY
EMILY CAMPAIGN YO.
YOU HAVE TO BE AS SHOCKED AS
ANYONE ELSE WHEN THE NEWS CAME
ACROSS THE TAPE?
>> SHOCKED.
I THINK WHAT WAS ESPECIALLY
SURPRISING TO ME, FRANKLY THAT
NEWS PRESSER RIGHT AFTER, WHERE
BOTH THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE
CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT AND
THE MAYOR BLASTING THIS SO
CLEARLY.
USUALLY IF THERE IS SOME TYPE OF
DEFECT IN THE PROSECUTORIAL
SYSTEM, SOME TYPE OF EVIDENTIARY
OR PROCEDURAL MISTAKE OR
OVERLOOK THAT THEY THINK WOULD
DETRIMENT OR WEAKEN THE CASE IN
COURSE THERE IS BEHIND THE
SCENES CONFERENCE BETWEEN THE
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE
PROSECUTORIAL DECISION.
SO FACT THEY WERE BLINDSIDED
TOO, FEEL THIS STRONGLY, SAID
THAT ALL PUBLICLY IS MOST
SURPRISING TO ME AND SHOULD BE
ALL OF YOU AS WELL.
CHARLES: ESSENTIALLY FROM WHAT I
UNDERSTAND, THE 10,000-DOLLAR
BOND HE PAID, HE DOESN'T GET IT
BACK AS SOME FORM OF
RESTITUTION, COUPLED WITH
COMMUNITY SERVICE OF SORTS.
HIS RECORD IS COMPLETELY
EXPUNGED.
TECHNICALLY HE HAS NEVER EVEN
BEEN ARRESTED.
IS THAT WHAT THE DEAL IS?
>> YES.
AND, THIS IS SO SURPRISING TO
ME.
I HAVE LITERALLY SEEN LARGER
FINES AND LARGER RESTITUTIONS
FOR LOWER TAX LIABILITIES THAN
THE LIKELY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
AND RESOURCES DEPLOYED BY
CHICAGO IN THIS INVESTIGATION.
NOTHING ABOUT THIS MAKES SENSE
TO ME, TO BE HONEST.
I DO WANT TO POINT OUT FOR
VIEWERS, REMINDER, THE FEDERAL
INVESTIGATION IS STILL ONGOING
WITH HIS ALLEGED HOAX LETTER.
HE IS FACING A WHOLE HOST OF
TROUBLE THERE.
THREE CHARGES, POTENTIAL
CHARGES, MAILING INJURIOUS
ARTICLES WITH ASPIRIN COULD
CONSTITUTE, MAILING THREATENING
COMMUNICATIONS, A STRAIGHT UP
HOAX.
THAT IS UP TO 45 YEARS IN
PRISON.
I DON'T WANT TO DISCOUNT THE
PROCEDURE IN GENERAL BUT ON THE
STATE LEVEL IT IS AN ABSOLUTE
SURPRISE.
AT THIS POINT IT IS DEAD IN THE
WATER.
CHARLES: A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
POINTING TO THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT HOPING THEY WILL
INTERVENE HERE.
I GOT TO ASK YOU A DAY AFTER HIS
ARREST TRYING TO EXTORT MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS FROM NIKE.
NEIL: MICHAEL AVENATTI IS
FIGHTING BACK ON TWITTER.
SAYING WE NEVER ATTEMPTED TO
EXTORT NIKE.
WHEN THE EVIDENCE IS DISCLOSED
THE PUBLIC WILL LEARN THE TRUTH
ABOUT NIKE'S CRIME AND COVERUP.
THEY ARE TRYING TO DIVERT
ATTENTION AT THEIR OWN CRIMES.
NIKE'S ATTEMPT AT DIVERSION AND
COVERUP WILL FAIL MISERABLY,
ONCE PROSECUTORS REALIZE THEY
HAVE BEEN PLAYED BY NIKE.
THIS REACHES THE HIGHEST LEVELS
OF NIKE.
PROSECUTORS SAY AVENATTI
APPROACHED NIKE.
HE THREAT OWNED TO EXPOSE RULES
VIOLATIONS UNLESS THE COMPANY
PAID HIM $25 MILLION.
EMILY, THIS IS MIND-BOGGLING
HERE WHAT DO YOU KNOW OF THIS,
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF IT?
>> RIGHT, I FEEL LIKE BOTH OF
THESE STORIES ARE THE TRUTH IS
STRANGER THAN FICTION THING.
THIS GUY DOESN'T KNOW WHEN TO
STOP, AVENATTI.
THE FINAL NAIL IN THE CHARGING
DOCUMENT WAS HIS TWEET.
LOOK AT HIM GO ON A TWEET STORM.
HE IS DIGGING HIMSELF, HIS OWN
HOLE.
FOR VIEWERS, THERE ARE TWO
SEPARATE COMPLAINTS.
THERE ARE FOUR CHARGES IN THE
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
AND THERE ARE TWO IN THE CENTRAL
DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA.
WITH NIKE, HE, TWO THINGS.
TRY, A, TO GET THEM TO PAY ONE
OF HIS COACHES THERE, FORMER
CLIENT, HIS CLIENT.
THEY HAD SPONSORED HIS
BASKETBALL TEAM FOR 72 GRAND A
YEAR.
HE WANTED THEM TO PAY HIM
$1.5 MILLION.
CHARLES: RIGHT.
>> TO PAY HIM UP TO 25
GENEROUSLY HE SAID.
DON'T WORRY I'M NOT ASKING FOR A
MILLION, TO INVESTIGATE NIKE AND
TO PAY HIM TWICE AS MUCH IF THEY
HIRED SOMEONE ELSE.
NOW THE SECOND CHARGE IS CENTRAL
DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA ARE
ACTUALLY MUCH MORE SERIOUS.
IT IS BANK AND WIRE FRAUD.
HE IS FACING 50 YEARS ALONE
THERE.
THAT IS FOR IMPROPERLY
WITHHOLDING CLIENT FUNDS, LYING
ABOUT A SETTLEMENT.
THEN USING FAKE TAX RETURNS TO
OBTAIN LOANS FOR HIS PERSONAL
AND PRIVATE BUSINESS.
I KNOW THAT IS A LOT TO ABSORB,
BUT TOP TO BOTTOM AS THE SPECIAL
AGENT IN CHARGE, THIS ATTORNEY
IS ONLY REPRESENTING HIS ONLY
SELF-INTEREST.
VIDEO AND AUDIO RECORDINGS ON
THE NIKE CASE, THEY ARE
EXTREMELY DETAILED AND QUITE
PROLIFIC, IT SHOWS FRANKLY VERY
ANGRY AND KIND OF OUT OF CONTROL
SIDE OF AVENATTI IS LIKELY NOT
SURPRISING TO US.