Chicago asks Jussie Smollett for $130K to cover investigation costs

The City of Chicago is asking “Empire” star Jussie Smollett for more than $130,000 to pay for the investigation into a case in which police say he falsely accused two men of attacking him.

The city asked for an “immediate payment” of $130,106.15 “in an attempt to resolve this matter without further legal action,” according to a letter sent from the Chicago Department of Law to Smollett’s attorneys, obtained by ABC News.

Charges against Smollett of disorderly contact for allegedly filing a false report after he told Chicago police he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack were dropped this week.

Smollett had been indicted on 16 felony counts by a grand jury in Cook County, Ill., earlier this month.

The actor has maintained that he did not lie about the assault that he said happened on Jan. 29.

The state attorney who dropped the charges has said that the decision was not an exoneration.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson blasted the charges being dropped, and earlier Thursday Emanuel said city officials would be sending the actor a bill.

“[We] will then send a letter to Jussie Smollett and his attorneys trying to recoup those costs,” Emanuel said, adding that the actor’s $10,000 bond didn’t “even come close to what the city spent in resources.”

“The City of Chicago and the Chicago Police Department take seriously those who make false statements to the police, thereby diverting resources from other investigations and undermining the criminal justice system,” the letter to Smollett’s lawyers said, according to ABC.

The Chicago Department of Law could not immediately be reached to comment on the content of the letter.

Smollett’s legal team told The Hill that he does not need to pay more.

“It is the Mayor and the Police Chief who owe Jussie – owe him an apology – for dragging an innocent man’s character through the mud. Jussie has paid enough.”