The former anchor persistently called Ray Epps, a former marine, an undercover FBI agent who allegedly orchestrated the attack on the US Capitol on January 6.
Ray Epps, a self-described Donald Trump supporter, sued Fox News on Wednesday for “spreading falsehoods” that Epps was an undercover FBI agent responsible for instigating a crowd of Trump supporters to attack the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Ray Epps is a former US Marine who now runs an Arizona wedding venue and was in Washington on January 6, 2021.
The lawsuit is based on assertions made by Tucker Carlson, Fox’s former primetime host, who repeatedly placed Epps, a supporter of then-President Donald Trump who claims he wanted to avoid bloodshed, at the center of the deadly siege on the United States Capitol.
Carlson’s guests and his own words indicated with seeming certainty that Epps played a role in inciting the violence that day, and that he must have been working with a federal agency to do so. Nonetheless, Carlson never provided viewers with any real evidence to back up his statements.
Epps and other Trump supporters accepted Trump and his associates’ false assertions that the 2020 presidential election was rigged in favor of President Joe Biden. That day, a joint session of Congress was scheduled to ratify Biden’s triumph.
Epps’ case, which was submitted in the same Delaware Superior Court that Dominion sued, stated that “in the wake of the events of January 6th, Fox News searched for a scapegoat to blame other than Donald Trump or the Republican Party.”
“Eventually, they turned on one of their own, telling a fantastical story in which Ray Epps — who was a Trump supporter and participated in the protests on January 6th — was an undercover FBI agent and was responsible for the mob that violently broke into the Capitol and interfered with the peaceful transition of power for the first time in this country’s history,” the lawsuit claimed.
According to the lawsuit, “as Fox recently discovered in its litigation against Dominion Voting Systems, its lies have consequences.”
Epps Identified as a ‘Loyal Fox Viewer and Trump Supporter’
The lawsuit identifies Epps as a “loyal Fox viewer and Trump supporter” and refutes the allegation that he is a federal agent.
Prior to filing the case, Epps’ attorney, Michael Teter, wrote Fox News a cease-and-desist letter requesting an on-air apology and retraction of the conspiracy idea. Teter stated that the network did not respond to his letter. Legal experts said earlier this week that while Epps will have to prove that Carlson’s accusations harmed his reputation, he makes a compelling case and so likely has standing.
FBI Director Christopher Wray Denies Knowledge of Epps as a ‘Secret Government Agent’
Epps may face charges for his role in the January 6 insurgency. He was questioned by a House committee on January 6. In the house committee, FBI Director Christopher Wray denied knowing Epps was a “secret government agent.”
“I will say that this notion that the violence at the Capitol on January 6th was somehow part of some operation orchestrated by FBI sources and agents is ludicrous,” Wray told lawmakers.
He did not disclose the number of individuals, including both FBI employees and others with whom the FBI had contact, who entered the Capitol and its surrounding area on January 6.
According to the lawsuit, Epps was warned in May by the Justice Department that he risks criminal charges for his actions on Jan. 6, which he blames on “the relentless attacks by Fox and Mr. Carlson and the resulting political pressure.”
As for Carlson, the lawsuit alleges that the former Fox News personality disregarded contradictory evidence, such as Epps’ testimony before a congressional committee investigating the insurrection, where he denied working for the government. The lawsuit also mentions videos provided by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, which purportedly show Epps attempting to de-escalate the situation.