Federal Judge Dismisses Epps' Fox News Defamation Suit Again

A federal judge in Delaware dismissed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News on Friday for the second time, rejecting claims by Raymond Epps, a former Donald Trump supporter and U.S. Marine veteran, that the network's broadcasts falsely portrayed him as a government agent provoking the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Hall granted Fox News's motion to dismiss, ruling that Epps did not provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate the network knew its statements were false. The judge had previously dismissed the case in 2024 but allowed Epps to amend his complaint. In her latest order, she determined the revised filing still fell short of legal standards.

Epps, who lives in Arizona, alleged in the suit that Fox News, particularly through segments on Tucker Carlson's former primetime show, accused him more than two dozen times of being a federal operative inciting violence at the Capitol to discredit Trump supporters. Carlson hosted the network's top-rated program at the time but was fired in April 2023. Epps claimed the coverage led to death threats and severe harassment, forcing him and his wife to sell their ranch near Phoenix and relocate to a...