Donald Trump supporters case: Fox news defamation lawsuit: US courts throws out Donald Trump’s supporters case. Here’s why

A federal judge on Friday ruled for the second time against a former Donald Trump supporter who filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News, saying she received death threats when she published false conspiracy theories about her involvement in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Raymond Epps, a former Marine, was falsely accused by Fox of being a government agent who caused trouble near the Capitol that day, so the blame was placed on Trump supporters. He said he and his wife sold the Arizona ranch where they lived and moved into a recreational vehicle because of the harassment they faced following Fox’s coverage.

U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Hall in Delaware granted Fox’s motion to dismiss the case, finding that Epps failed to present sufficient evidence to prove that Fox knew his statements were false.

The judge had previously dismissed the case in 2024 but gave Epps a second chance to make his case. He said Friday he still fell short in his decision.

Epps had named Tucker Carlson, who was fired from Fox in April 2023, as the most active supporter of the conspiracy theory. At the time, Carlson was hosting Fox’s most popular show. Epps appeared in more than two dozen episodes of Carlson’s prime-time program, the lawsuit said.

“Following the events of January 6, Fox News looked for a scapegoat to blame other than Donald Trump or the Republican Party,” Epps’ lawyers wrote in their lawsuit. he wrote. “They finally opened one of them.”

In a statement Friday night, Fox News said it was “pleased with the federal court’s decision that further protects First Amendment press freedoms.”
Epps pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge related to the Jan. 6 riot and was sentenced to one year of probation. He was later pardoned by Trump, along with 1,500 others who received clemency for their role in the insurrection.

Federal prosecutors backed Epps’ harsh denial that he was a government plant or an FBI agent. They say Epps was never a government employee or agent beyond serving in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1979 to 1983.