Well, it looks like Ray Epps’s lawsuit against Fox News just bit the dust. A federal judge in Delaware decided that the Jan. 6 protester didn’t have enough to prove “actual malice.” Yep, that’s the legal standard you need when you’re trying to pin defamation on a media giant, and Epps fell short.
For those keeping track, Epps wasn’t exactly a bystander on Jan. 6. He got a slap on the wrist: one year of probation, a $500 fine, and 100 hours of community service. Pretty light compared to what some others got. But he did get caught on video encouraging the crowd, which made him prime fodder for conspiracy theories. Enter Tucker Carlson and other Fox News hosts, who ran with the idea that Epps was an undercover FBI agent stirring the pot.
Judge Jennifer L. Hall was having none of it and tossed the lawsuit. Fox News, unsurprisingly, was thrilled. They wasted no time lumping this case in with a couple of other recent wins.
“Following the dismissals of the Jankowicz, Bobulinski, and now Epps cases, FOX News is pleased with these back-to-back decisions from federal courts preserving the press freedoms of the First Amendment,” Fox News Media said in a statement to Mediaite. Translation: “See? We’re just journalists doing journalist things. First Amendment, baby!”
WATCH:
Epps, for his part, claimed Fox made him the scapegoat for the Jan. 6 chaos, painting him as the mastermind FBI plant behind the Capitol riot. His lawyers argued the network’s conspiracy theories led to some terrifying consequences, including death threats and, get this, shell casings showing up on his property. That’s not exactly the kind of fan mail you’d hope for.
VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELFox’s defense? Pretty straightforward. They said their hosts were just “interpreting” the facts and were well within their rights to question why Epps got off so easy compared to others who participated in Jan. 6.
“Even if Fox hosts implied a factual conclusion about Plaintiff, it reflected only their interpretations based on disclosed facts,” they argued. So basically, “We didn’t make it up; we just connected the dots differently.”
For the record, Epps did plead guilty last year to a misdemeanor count of disorderly or disruptive conduct on restricted grounds. But as far as being the FBI’s secret puppet? Well, let’s just say that theory’s taking a backseat… for now.
#RayEpps #FoxNews #January6
Great read. I however did see that piece of video and the crowd around him were shouting FED while pointing him out. There were others. Pelosi orchestrated all of this. Those who know, just know.