Ray Epps was the man who was accused of being an undercover government agent accountable for inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

It was former Fox News host Tucker Carlson who first advanced this theory. On Wednesday, Epps filed a lawsuit against the network Fox News and Tucker Carlson, claiming that they had defamed him with a “fantastical story.”

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Despite having gathered with the crowd on January 6, Mr. Epps did not enter the Capitol and has not been charged with a felony, which led Carlson and others to claim that federal prosecutors are shielding him.

Ray Epps filed a lawsuit after sending the network a cease-and-desist letter earlier this year. In that letter, Carlson was asked to retract his “false and defamatory” remarks about the man and issue a “formal on-air apology” for the “lies” he had spread.

According to the lawsuit submitted in Delaware Superior Court on July 12, “Fox’s role in creating and disseminating destructive conspiracy theories has already been well documented.”

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The complaint claims that Mr. Epps and his wife Robyn, both supported Donald Trump and were “loyal” viewers of Fox and Carlson. However, they have now become the targets of a campaign of “falsehoods” that “have destroyed Ray’s and Robyn’s lives.” Earlier, Epps admitted to 60 Minutes that the conspiracy resulted in death threats against him and forced him into hiding.

According to the lawsuit, Carlson stated on-air that Epps was “the central figure” in the incident on January 6 and “helped stage-manage the insurrection.” Epps claims that this was not only entirely false, but that it also resulted in others harassing his family via voicemails, emails, and texts, as well as shooting firearms on his family’s property.

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According to the lawsuit, “People began driving past their farm brandishing weapons and shooting onto their property.” Allegedly, even Epps’ personal data was exposed on the Dark Web. Based on what the suit says, Fox officials “recklessly disregarded the truth” and publicly supported conspiracy theories that they knew were untrue while dismissing them in private as “preposterous and crazy.”

“Fox knew it needed a scapegoat for January 6th that would help absolve itself and would appeal to its viewers. It settled on Ray Epps,” the lawsuit reads. The amount of damages Epps is requesting is not specified in the case.