Arizona man at center of Jan. 6 conspiracy theory sues Fox News
An Arizona man at the center of a conspiracy theory about what sparked the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol has sued Fox News over what he alleges is the outlet's broadcasting of falsehoods about him.
Ray Epps, a former U.S. Marine, is suing the network in Delaware Superior Court, alleging the conservative media giant and former host Tucker Carlson knowingly promoted what his complaint calls "destructive conspiracy theories" about his involvement in the riot, specifically that he was a federal agent who spurred on the violence to tarnish those involved.
News of Epps's lawsuit, which seeks an unspecified amount of money in damages, was first reported Wednesday by The New York Times.
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Epps's suit outlines how he and his wife came to believe the 2020 election falsehoods being promoted by former President Trump and broadcast on Fox News in the wake of the vote, saying they were "persuaded by the lies broadcast by Fox asserting that the election had been stolen to exercise their perceived responsibilities as patriotic citizens to gather in the nation's Capitol on January 6, 2021 to 'stop the steal.'"
Epps traveled to Washington days before the Capitol attack and "vocally supported and encouraged peaceful protests" Jan. 6, according to his lawsuit.
The complaint cites a number of segments that aired on Carlson's now-canceled prime-time Fox program focusing on Epps, some of which suggested he could have been a federal agent.
In a statement to the Times, Epps attorney said, “Ray is taking the next steps to vindicate his rights by seeking accountability for Fox’s lies that have caused him and Robyn so much harm.”
A representative for Fox News did not immediately return a request for comment.
The suit comes just months after the network agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787 million to settle out of court claims of defamation over further 2020-related falsehoods. Fox took Carlson off the air days later.
Carlson had come under intense criticism for his portrayal about the Capitol riot, which he at one point described as "mostly peaceful chaos."
Fox earlier this month agreed to pay a reported $12 million to settle a separate lawsuit brought by an ex-producer on Carlson's show who alleged a toxic workplace and rampant culture of sexism at the network.
Fox also faces an ongoing $2.7 billion legal challenge from Smartmatic, another voting systems company, over similar claims made on its air about that company's software.