Fox News scores major victory as judge dismisses defamation lawsuit by man at the center of Jan. 6 ‘false flag’ conspiracy theory

Left: Ray Epps is seen talking with accused Jan. 6 rioter and Proud Boys member Ryan Samsel near the Peace Circle monument (via FBI court filing). Right: Photo of Tucker Carlson (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images).

Left: Ray Epps is seen talking with accused Jan. 6 rioter and Proud Boys member Ryan Samsel near the Peace Circle monument (via FBI court filing). Right: Photo of Tucker Carlson (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images).

Fox News on Thursday pressed a federal court to nix a defamation lawsuit over comments made by Tucker Carlson about an Arizona man’s alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol.

James Ray Epps, in a series of increasingly escalating legal maneuvers, accused the network’s now-former talking head of painting him as an agent provocateur who “helped stage-manage” the abortive insurrection on behalf of the federal government.

The plaintiff’s legal crusade stalled out in November 2024 when a federal district court ruled in favor of a Fox News motion to dismiss. Epps got a second bite at the apple a few weeks later by asking the court for permission to re-plead his case with an amended complaint.

Since then, motions practice has been swift and fierce.

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