Ray Epps, an Arizona man and supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News, accusing the network of spreading a conspiracy theory linking Ray Epps to the violent storming of the U.S. Capitol.
Ray Epps claims that Fox knowingly and recklessly disseminated false information suggesting that he was an undercover FBI agent who played a key role in instigating the January 6, 2021 attack as part of a government plot against Trump
According to Ray Epps, this campaign of disinformation has had devastating consequences for him and his wife, destroying their lives. The Congressional select committee investigating the Capitol attack has issued a statement confirming that Ray Epps was not an FBI agent.
This lawsuit in Delaware state court follows a similar defamation case filed against Fox by Smartmatic, a voting technology company. Additionally, Fox recently settled a defamation lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems for a staggering $787.5 million, acknowledging that some of its claims about Dominion were false.
Ray Epps is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, the specific amounts of which will be determined during the trial
Ray Epps asserts that Fox News’ statements falsely portrayed him as a federal agent involved in inciting the attack on the Capitol, citing former host Tucker Carlson’s characterization of Ray Epps as a “central figure” in the insurrection. Fox News terminated Carlson’s employment in April.
The lawsuit brought by Ray Epps joins a growing list of legal battles faced by Fox News, raising further questions about the network’s journalistic integrity and the potential consequences of spreading misinformation.
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