A hoax drawing comparisons to Jussie Smollett's case is at the center of a lawsuit after a Wisconsin sheriff said a woman fabricated a story about being in ICE detention for 40 hours. Investigators point to hotel records, surveillance video and text messages that contradict her claims.
Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt announced the legal action after a weekslong investigation into claims by Sundas "Sunny" Naqvi that she was held by federal authorities in Illinois and Wisconsin, including at the Dodge County Jail.
Those allegations, first raised publicly last month, claimed Naqvi, a U.S. citizen from Skokie, Illinois, was detained at O’Hare International Airport, transferred to an Illinois center and later transported across state lines to Wisconsin, where she was allegedly held and released without documentation.
The allegations quickly gained traction online, where some commentators drew comparisons to past high-profile hoaxes, including the case involving Smollett, an actor who fabricated a story in 2019 that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack.
The X account Libs of Chicago wrote that "Skokie has themselves their very own Jussie Smollett," alleging Naqvi lied about being detained by federal authorities. Another user similarly described the situation as a "Jussie Smollett-esque hoax."
The Department of Homeland Security previously said Naqvi's claims were "false."
After reviewing records from multiple agencies, Schmidt said the claims "did not occur,"...
WASHINGTON, April 23 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s years-long campaign to undermine faith in U.S. elections has gained broad traction with the American public, a Reuters/Ipsos poll shows, p...