Ray Epps—a supporter of former President Donald Trump who went to D.C. on January 6, 2021—sued Fox News for defamation Wednesday after ousted host Tucker Carlson suggested on-air he was an undercover government agent who instigated the Capitol riots, marking the latest legal threat to hit the conservative cable network.
Ray Epps, in the red Trump hat, center, gestures to others as people gather on the West Front of the ... [+]
In a lawsuit filed in Superior Court in Delaware, Epps accuses Fox of "creating and disseminating destructive conspiracy theories" in order to take blame for the violent riots off of Trump and the Republican party (the suit was first reported by the New York Times).
Carlson has since “parted ways” with Fox News for unspecified reasons, amid reports that CEO Lachlan Murdoch and his father, Rupert Murdoch, were troubled by Carlson's promotion of conspiracy theories, including that Epps worked for the FBI.
Epps—who has not been charged with a crime in relation to the January 6 riot—previously told 60 Minutes the conspiracy led to death threats and drove him into hiding.
The lawsuit alleges that Fox "recklessly disregarded the truth" and continued to promote theories executives knew weren't true to viewers, while privately rejecting them as "preposterous and crazy."
The lawsuit does not say how much money in damages Epps is seeking. Representatives for Fox News did not immediately respond to request for comment Wednesday.
“Fox knew it needed a scapegoat for January 6th that would help absolve itself and would appeal to its viewers. It settled on Ray Epps,” the lawsuit reads.