A resident of Arizona who has been linked to various conspiracy theories has filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News.

 Ray Epps, an individual who voted for Trump on two separate occasions, claims that Tucker Carlson has consistently and inaccurately accused him of being an undercover government agent responsible for provoking the events of the January 6 attack.

Ray Epps, who gained notoriety due to a widely spread conspiracy theory surrounding the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, has filed a lawsuit against Fox News and former host Tucker Carlson for defamation. Epps alleges that Fox News and Carlson propagated a fabricated narrative that he was an undercover government agent responsible for instigating violence at the Capitol, aiming to discredit President Donald J. Trump and his supporters.

The lawsuit was submitted in Delaware's Superior Court, where Fox News recently reached a $787.5 million settlement in a separate defamation case brought by Dominion Voting Systems to counter false claims of election manipulation against Trump. Epps' complaint argues that Fox deliberately chose him as a scapegoat for January 6th, similar to their focus on voting machine companies during the false allegations of a rigged election.

While Fox News did not respond to requests for comment, the network swiftly moved to have the case transferred to the Federal District Court in Wilmington, Delaware.

This lawsuit adds to the growing legal challenges faced by Fox News, which has been dealing with multiple lawsuits related to its coverage of the 2020 election and Trump's baseless claims of election fraud. These include a $2.7 billion suit from Smartmatic, another voting technology company, as well as two separate claims from Fox Corporation shareholders. Additionally, a former producer for Carlson filed a lawsuit that was settled for $12 million on June 30, alleging a toxic work environment with Carlson's endorsement.

Epps is seeking unspecified damages in his lawsuit. After Carlson aired the baseless accusations about him, they rapidly spread among online communities of Trump supporters and into the political sphere. Republicans in Congress, including Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Thomas Massie, highlighted Epps in public hearings, attempting to connect him to a fictitious conspiracy theory of involvement in planning the January 6 attack.

The false accusations had severe consequences for Epps and his wife, Robyn, who faced numerous death threats. They were forced to sell their ranch and wedding business in Arizona and relocate to a small mobile home in a remote Utah trailer park. The complaint also mentions the sale of "Arrest Ray Epps" T-shirts and the creation of songs about him on YouTube, reducing him to a character in a far-fetched conspiracy theory.

Epps, a former Marine Corps member, affirmed under oath in his deposition before the January 6 committee that he had never worked for law enforcement or had any contact with government agencies such as the FBI, CIA, or NSA. Epps' lawyer, Michael Teter, stated that he demanded retractions and an on-air apology from Fox and Carlson in March, but neither the network nor Carlson, whose show has been canceled since then, responded.

Teter expressed that Epps is seeking justice and accountability for the harm caused by Fox's false narratives, which have significantly affected Epps and his wife.

The lawsuit paints a different picture of Mr. Epps, suggesting that he was a devoted viewer of Fox News who was misled by the network's coverage. According to the complaint, when Fox News claimed that the 2020 election had been stolen, Epps believed it. He took to heart the message that Trump supporters should make their views known on January 6 in Washington, D.C.

The allegations surrounding Mr. Epps have gained traction primarily due to the absence of any charges brought against him by the Justice Department for his actions on January 6. However, videos show Epps encouraging demonstrators to march with him and enter the Capitol, although he later pleads for restraint once violence erupts. He also breaches a police barricade into a restricted area of the Capitol grounds.

In May, the lawsuit states that the Justice Department informed Epps of its intention to file criminal charges against him in connection with the Capitol attack. Although the specific charges are unknown, the fact that charges are being filed undermines the idea that Epps was shielded due to his supposed role as a covert agent, as claimed in the lawsuit.

The attacks against Epps began in mid-2021, particularly after a video surfaced showing him on the eve of the Capitol attack, encouraging the crowd to enter the Capitol peacefully. Some individuals in the crowd accused him of being a government agent trying to manipulate Trump supporters into committing a crime.

In another video, Epps is seen whispering into a man's ear moments before the man and other rioters breach the security perimeter and overpower police officers. The exact words spoken by Epps are difficult to discern, but conspiracy theorists have used that moment to accuse him of giving some form of command.

Law enforcement took notice of Epps's suspicious behavior and included his photo on an online wanted list. Epps claims that he contacted the FBI's National Threat Operations Center shortly after the alert was issued, and phone records confirm a nearly hour-long conversation with agents.

By March 2021, Epps had been formally interviewed by the FBI, and by summer, he was no longer listed as a wanted suspect.

The complaint alleges that Mr. Carlson and Fox News selected Epps as a "villain" to divert attention from the network's own responsibility in fanning the flames that led to the events of January 6. According to the complaint, Carlson became fixated on Epps and propagated the idea that Epps, along with the federal government, was responsible for the Capitol riots.

The complaint details how Carlson repeatedly mentioned Epps on his show, referring to him as the central figure in the Capitol attack and suggesting that he played a role in orchestrating the insurrection.

Carlson invited Darren Beattie, the owner of the right-wing website Revolver News, onto his show multiple times. The complaint describes Beattie as the primary force behind the false narrative that Epps was a federal agent planted as a provocateur to incite the violence on January 6.

Furthermore, the complaint asserts that Carlson continued to make baseless accusations about Epps outside of Fox News. As recently as March, Carlson appeared on a podcast and told former Fox News personality Clayton Morris, "Ray Epps clearly was working for somebody. He was not a pure civilian."