By Oliver Darcy and Marshall Cohen | CNN
An lawyer for Ray Epps, the Arizona man who January 6 conspiracy theorists falsely declare led an FBI plot to orchestrate the riot, demanded an on-air retraction Thursday from Fox Information and its right-wing discuss host Tucker Carlson, and claimed they made “false and defamatory statements” about him.
“The fanciful notions that Mr. Carlson advances on his present relating to Mr. Epps’s involvement within the January sixth riot are demonstrably (and already confirmed to be) false,” the lawyer, Michael Teter, wrote within the letter. “And but, Mr. Carlson persists together with his assault on the reality.”
The letter from Teter demanded a proper retraction and on-air apology “for the lies” which were unfold about Epps on the channel.
Within the aftermath of the January 6 assault on the US Capitol, conspiracy theorists baselessly instructed that the assault was a so-called “false flag” operation staged by the federal authorities to make supporters of then-President Donald Trump look dangerous.
As a part of that conspiracy concept, some right-wing figures baselessly claimed Epps was a part of a secret FBI plot to orchestrate the assault. Carlson has repeatedly breathed life into these conspiracies by giving them consideration on his extremely rated program. On many events, Carlson has particularly talked about Epps on his present, and has performed footage from January 6 of Epps on the Capitol.
In a personal deposition with the Home committee that investigated January 6, Epps denied that he ever labored for the FBI or for federal legislation enforcement, in line with a transcript of his interview. He advised the committee he supported Trump in 2020 and attended the DC protest as a result of he was involved about widespread voter fraud.
These denials from Epps are significant as a result of it’s against the law to misinform Congress.
Teter, the Epps lawyer, described the conspiracy theories about his consumer as “nonsensical fantasies” which were “disproven by movies and accounts by these attending the January sixth occasions.”
“The implications of your lies can't be minimized,” Teter wrote in his letter to Carlson and Fox Information. “Mr. and Mrs. Epps have been subjected to threats, intimidation, and harassment, leading to vital financial and emotional damages. Every time Mr. Carlson and Fox Information spreads extra misinformation about Mr. Epps, the hurt redoubles.”
Spokespeople for Fox Information didn't instantly reply to a request for remark.
This isn’t Teter’s first foray into the authorized fallout from January 6. He has publicly pushed for skilled accountability in opposition to legal professionals who've unfold election lies. He's the managing director of the 65 Venture, a gaggle that's making an attempt to take disciplinary motion in opposition to Trump-aligned attorneys who pushed bogus falsehoods in regards to the election.
The authorized discover comes at a precarious time for Fox Information, which is being sued for $1.6 billion in a monster defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Techniques, an election expertise firm.
Dominion has alleged in its lawsuit in opposition to Fox Company and Fox Information that through the 2020 election the right-wing community “recklessly disregarded the reality” and pushed numerous pro-Trump conspiracy theories in regards to the election expertise firm as a result of “the lies have been good for Fox’s enterprise.” Fox Information has strongly disputed Dominion’s allegations.
The lawsuit from Dominion has unearthed damning messages from Fox Information executives and hosts which have proven the community peddled election lies to its viewers that it knew have been false.
A Fox Information producer earlier this week additionally filed a lawsuit in opposition to the community, alleging that the right-wing community’s legal professionals coerced her into offering deceptive testimony within the case.