Tucker Carlson’s fight with Fox News is now headed to a courtroom.
This is one twist no one saw coming.
And Tucker Carlson just got hit with life-changing news about criminal charges.
Tucker Carlson was the loudest voice in the media criticizing the media’s narrative that Trump supporters staged an insurrection on January 6 to try and overthrow the government and end American democracy.
Carlson questioned how many undercover federal informants were in the crowd that day and pointed to a report in Revolver News claiming a man named Ray Epps may have been a federal operative.
Carlson also claimed Epps allegedly committed criminal acts on that day but was let off under mysterious circumstances.
As evidence Carlson said the FBI’s Washington, D.C. Field Office removed a picture of Epps from their website listing him as a person of interest in allegedly committing violence even though a video from January 5 showed Epps exhorting Trump supporters to march to the Capitol the following day.
Who is Ray Epps?
Rep. Thomas Massie during a House oversight hearing showcased videos of one Ray Epps, who was present but never charged in the Jan. 6 Riot. Massie questioned the AG not only about Epps, but the alleged presence of federal agents agitating people before the riot. pic.twitter.com/AkcKUcmTLM
— Whatz Up (@Whatz_Up_) October 28, 2021
Carlson also wondered why the January 6 committee and the media – which was eager to smear every Trump voter as a domestic terrorist – took it easy on Epps and painted a sympathetic portrait of him.
Epps denied the allegations he worked as an undercover federal informant.
Now Epps is suing Fox News for defamation claiming Fox News invented a conspiracy theory around Epps’ action on January 6 to deflect blame from Donald Trump.
“In the aftermath of the events of January 6th, Fox News searched for a scapegoat to blame other than Donald Trump or the Republican Party,” the lawsuit states. “Eventually, they turned on one of their own.”
Epps’ lawsuit singles out Carlson’s commentary as forcing Epps to move and supposedly sleep with “one eye open.”
And since Fox employed Carlson at the time Carlson made these comments, “Fox is therefore fully liable for Mr. Carlson’s statements,” the lawsuit states.
But one fact inside the lawsuit may undermine the whole case.
And that is the fact that Epps claims one of the main consequences of Carlson’s defamation is the fact that the Justice Department allegedly informed Epps in May that it planned to indict him for what happened on January 6.
“Finally, in May 2023, the Department of Justice notified Epps that it would seek to charge him criminally for events on January 6, 2021—two-and-a-half years later,” the lawsuit reads. “The relentless attacks by Fox and Mr. Carlson and the resulting political pressure likely resulted in the criminal charges.”
If Epps faces criminal charges, that may provide Carlson with a defense against Epps’ claims that Carlson defamed Epps.
And if Epps is not facing charges, then one of the main causes of the lawsuit is no longer valid.