Legal/Law/Criminal Justice and Reform

Soros-Backed Chicago Prosecutor Won’t Run For Reelection

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Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx will not be seeking reelection in Chicago in 2024, she announced during a speech on Tuesday.

Foxx’s campaigns were fiscally supported by George Soros, a billionaire philanthropist who has funneled millions of dollars into progressive legislators across the country. Foxx has received scrutiny during her time as state’s attorney for allegedly being soft on crime, according to ABC 7 Chicago.

“I think we will continue to see violence in communities that lack trust in our system. I will not be on next year’s ballot, by my choice, I do this decision, I didn’t take it lightly,” Foxx said.

Foxx had a reputation for being a progressive state attorney but was criticized by those on the right for not being tough enough on criminals amid crime spikes in Chicago. Chicago’s homicide rate has gone up since 2015, the year before Foxx took office, from 17.5 per 100,000 people in 2015 to 29.3 per 100,000 people in 2021, according to Chicago Business.

Compared to other large cities, like New York and Los Angeles, Chicago’s increase in homicides exceeded its counterparts. While there were ebbs and flows in most large cities during and after the pandemic, Chicago’s murder rate in 2021 is 19 points higher than Los Angeles, which had a murder rate of 10.1 per 100,000 people in 2021, and 24 points higher than New York, whose murder rate was 5.5 per 100,000 in 2021.

Foxx has also been criticized for her handling of Jussie Smollett, the “Empire” actor who falsely claimed he was the victim of a hate crime. Foxx refused to charge Smollett for writing a false report to Chicago PD and the special prosecutor assigned to the case said her office made “operational mistakes” by dropping the charges.

Foxx denied that the increase in crime in Chicago was associated with her term in office during her speech on Tuesday. “I refute the supposition that where we find ourselves today with the rise in violent crime that coincides with the once-in-a-lifetime pandemic is somehow the result of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office,” Foxx said.

Crime increases, the Smollett case and high turnover within her office are potential reasons why Foxx chose not to run in 2024, according to ABC 7.

“She’s been under fire since almost since she first took office, particularly around the way she’s handled some prosecution, some investigations,” said ABC 7 political analyst Laura Washington. “There are a lot of people unhappy with her. So, if she were to run for reelection, it would be a real uphill climb.”

With Foxx out, Richard Boykin, a former member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, and former City Inspector Joe Ferguson are expected to run, but neither have formally announced.

“There’s one thing that Republicans, Democrats and Independent voters can all agree on – her last day can’t come soon enough,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy.

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s office did not immediately respond to Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.