The Illinois Prosecutors Bar Association condemned Cook County State’s Attorney Kimberly Foxx Thursday for the handling of Jussie Smollett’s case.

Foxx “has failed in her most fundamental ethical obligations to the public,” the organization said in a statement Thursday.

The statement also said that the "manner in which this case was dismissed was abnormal and unfamiliar to those who practice law in criminal courthouses across the State.”

Earlier this week, Illinois state prosecutors announced, in a surprising turn of events, that they would be dropping all 16 felony charges against Smollett, who allegedly filed a false police report.

The “Empire” actor, who is black and gay, claimed at the end of January that he was the victim of a hate crime where two men attacked him while yelling racist and homophobic slurs.

In mid-February the Chicago Police Department said in a press conference that it had substantial evidence to suggest that Smollett had staged the attack and paid two men, one of whom he worked with on “Empire,” to carry out the hate crime.

The case, from the start, was riddled with controversy, including the involvement of Foxx, who said she recused herself from the case Feb. 19 after exchanging text messages with Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff Tina Tchen.

Foxx and Tchen, who is a friend of the Smollett family, texted to set up a meeting to discuss Smollett’s case.

The Illinois Bar Association noted that, under Illinois law, the court should have appointed a special prosecutor when Foxx recused herself. "Here, the State’s Attorney kept the case within her office and thus never actually recused herself as a matter of law," they said.

When it became clear that no special prosecutor was ever assigned in Smollett’s case, Foxx’s office clarified that she never officially or legally recused herself from the case, but the term was only used as a “colloquial” phrase so people would understand she was not involved.

Many individuals and groups, including Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, have said that this case is being handled differently because Smollett is a public figure with money. Foxx’s office rebutted Emanuel's statement, saying that what has happened in Smollett’s case is “not a new or unusual practice.”

“These statements are plainly misleading and inaccurate,” IPBA said. “This action was highly unusual, not a statutory diversion program, and not in accordance with well accepted practices of State’s Attorney initiated diversionary programs.”