It was a hoax , kind of like the Kavanaugh hearings, it ended in failure. But the protagonist's were paid and protected. It's not money that connects all these people it is not power, it's the web of pedophilia, Sinister crime, and  sick Behavior. This creates the glue of extortion that keeps the cabal from falling apart.  The Smollett case is a microcosm but it follows the same patterns of the global criminal syndicate that Donald Trump is trying to slay. And it is not easy. And there is no politician that will ever do it. Trump is not a politician he just plays one on TV. Let's not forget that this happened in Chicago. There's a lot of shit happening in Chicago. Chicago is one of the most corrupt places in America. Los Angeles New York Miami and Chicago in San Francisco.