The Investigation That Could Lead to Dominion Being Acquired by Fox
The Investigation That Could Lead to Dominion Being Acquired by Fox
One of the many falsehoods and conspiracy theories that Tucker Carlson promoted on his now-cancelled Fox News programme stands out as particularly notable. This is the theory that an Arizona man working as a covert government agent incited the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in order to sabotage and discredit former President Donald J. Trump and his political movement.
According to what is known about the individual, who goes by the name Ray Epps and voted for Trump twice, he took part in demonstrations in Washington, DC on the day in question as well as the night before. He was seen on camera encouraging a crowd to follow him into the Capitol building and march with him. At other times, though, when it is obvious that things are going to turn violent, he implores everyone to remain calm. He is seen walking past a queue of Capitol Police at the barricades, but he never actually enters the Capitol building itself.
Mr. Epps has not been charged with a felony by federal prosecutors, who have instead chosen to focus their attention on the more than 1,000 other protesters who engaged in aggressive behaviour or were trespassing in the Capitol. Despite this, the expansive investigation into the attack that is being conducted by the Justice Department is still ongoing, and Mr. Epps may yet be indicted.
However, Mr. Carlson insisted for more than eighteen months that the absence of charges against Mr. Epps could only mean one thing: that he was being protected because he was a covert government agent. Mr. Carlson informed his audience that there was “no rational explanation” as to why this “mysterious figure” who “helped stage-manage the insurrection” had not been charged. He described this individual as having “helped stage-manage the insurrection.”
He hammered Mr. Epps’s name into the heads of his audience by using it numerous times across roughly 20 episodes, leaving a lasting impression.
Mr. Epps served in the Marine Corps, but in his deposition before the committee on January 6, he stated that, outside of his time in the military, he had never worked for any other government agency. After receiving death threats from individuals who appeared to believe the conspiracy theory, he and his wife, Robyn, have fled Arizona and are currently hiding in another state.
They have sold their wedding venue business as well as their ranch in response to the threats. The fact that prosecutors are still unsealing new cases in connection with January 6 indicates that his legal predicament is far from being resolved.
Now, attorneys who represent Mr. Epps and his wife are moving through with preparations to sue Fox News for defamation of character. “We informed Fox in March that if they did not issue a formal on-air apology that we would pursue all available avenues to protect the Eppses’ rights,”
said Michael Teter, a lawyer for Mr. Epps who issued the network a cease-and-desist letter asking for an on-air apology and a retraction. Teter is the attorney who claimed, “We would pursue all available avenues to protect the Eppses’ rights.” Following the fact that Mr. Teter did not receive a response from Fox regarding his request, he started making preparations for the lawsuit. “That is, and will continue to be, our goal.”
Mr. Epps chose not to comment on his possible legal action in this matter. A spokesperson for Fox News declined to comment on the matter.
Mr. Carlson did not wish to provide a statement either. However, he persists in spreading the misguided impression that the incident that took place on January 6 was staged by anti-Trump groups within the government. Mr. Carlson asserted these claims when participating in a podcast the previous week. He stated that the incident “was not an insurrection” and that the crowd that day was “filled with federal agents.”
Experts on the First Amendment believe that Mr. Epps has a strong case for defamation, one that is similar to the lawsuit that Fox News recently settled with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million. That case centred on several examples of false statements that were made on Fox News programmes over the course of a significant amount of time.
The action would be another legal complication and reputational stain for the conservative network, which is facing an increasing number of lawsuits connected to its airing of false claims about the 2020 election and its aftermath. If Mr. Epps proceeds forward with the complaint, it would be a reputational stain for the network.
These include a complaint for $2.7 billion brought by a different voting technology business known as Smartmatic, as well as two separate claims brought by shareholders of Fox Corporation. Another lawsuit filed by a former producer for Mr. Carlson alleged that he condoned and encouraged a toxic workplace, which was the basis for the $12 million settlement that Fox reached with the plaintiff on June 30.
