Rafer Weigel is a three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist and television anchor who made headlines in 2019 when he broke the Jussie Smollett hate crime hoax story. Weigel is currently the evening news anchor at Fox 32 Chicago, where he has been covering breaking news and in-depth stories for over a decade.

Weigel's career as a journalist started in 1993 when he worked as a general assignment reporter for WBBM-TV in Chicago. He then moved to Los Angeles, where he spent eight years as a correspondent for KABC-TV. During his time in Los Angeles, Weigel covered some of the biggest stories of the era, including the O.J. Simpson trial and the Northridge earthquake. He even experienced a revenge porn scandal himself, but quickly recovered from it.

In 2003, Weigel returned to Chicago and joined Fox 32 as the weekend news anchor. He quickly became a fixture at the station, earning three Emmy Awards for his reporting and anchoring. Weigel's coverage of the 2014 NATO Summit in Chicago was particularly noteworthy, as he provided live updates from the ground while riot police clashed with protestors.

But it was Weigel's coverage of the Jussie Smollett case in 2019 that cemented his status as one of Chicago's most respected journalists. Smollett, an actor best known for his role on the TV show Empire, claimed that he had been the victim of a hate crime in January of that year. Smollett alleged that two men had attacked him on the streets of Chicago, shouting racist and homophobic slurs and pouring bleach on him.

The story quickly garnered national attention, with celebrities and politicians rallying around Smollett and condemning the alleged attack. But Weigel was one of the few journalists who remained skeptical. As he investigated the case, Weigel uncovered a number of inconsistencies in Smollett's story, including the fact that the actor had refused to turn over his phone to police.

Eventually, Weigel's reporting paid off. In February 2019, Chicago police announced that Smollett had been arrested and charged with filing a false police report. According to authorities, Smollett had staged the attack in order to gain publicity and boost his career.

Weigel's reporting on the Smollett case was praised by many, including Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who thanked Weigel for his "dogged pursuit of the truth." But Weigel himself remained humble, telling reporters that he was simply doing his job. "We're journalists," he said. "We're supposed to ask tough questions and get to the bottom of things."

Today, Weigel continues to work as an anchor and reporter for Fox 32 Chicago. He is known for his tireless work ethic and his commitment to uncovering the truth, even in the face of controversy and adversity. As one of Chicago's most respected journalists, Rafer Weigel is a shining example of what it means to be a true journalist and a public servant.New Paragraph