Motivation was to assist his blood relative, Senator Kamala Harris, get the anti-Lynching law passed. Oh, here is the latest SPIN, after consulting with a PR firm and Law firm, Smollett now claims he has a drug problem (lie, after lie, after lie): https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-02-22/smollett-now-has-untreated-drug-problem-empire-mulls-recast