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Ray Epps, an Arizona man who became the center of a conspiracy theory on Jan. 6, 2021, has been charged with a misdemeanor in connection with the U.S. Capitol riot, according to court documents filed Tuesday.
Epps, a former Marine who claimed in a lawsuit filed this year that Fox News Channel made him a scapegoat for the Capitol riot, is charged with disorderly or disruptive conduct on restricted grounds, according to court records.
Messages seeking comment from an attorney representing Epps in his lawsuit against Fox were not immediately returned Tuesday. No attorney was listed on the court docket in the criminal case filed in federal court in Washington.
Epps was falsely accused by Fox of being a government agent who was stirring up unrest that would be blamed on Trump supporters, according to his lawsuit.
Although the lawsuit mentions Fox’s Laura Ingraham and Will Cain, former Fox host Tucker Carlson is cited as the leader in promoting the theory. Epps was featured in more than two dozen segments on Carlson’s prime-time show, according to the lawsuit. Messages seeking comment were sent Tuesday to Fox News and a lawyer for Carlson.
Epps’ lawsuit against Fox says the Justice Department told him in May that he was facing criminal charges for his actions on Jan. 6 and blamed it on Fox and Mr. Carlson’s “relentless attacks and the resulting political pressure.
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