Sean Hannity Backs Off Seth Rich Conspiracy Theories A Bit — After Family Cries Foul
By Dave Goldiner May 24, 2017
Fox News host Sean Hannity has temporarily backed off from his embrace of conspiracy theories surrounding the murder of Seth Rich — after the family of the slain Democratic staffer pleaded for respect.
The embattled right wing media kingpin scrapped a planned appearance by hacker Kim Dotcom that he had promised would offer a bombshell breakthrough in the puzzling case.
The cancellation came after Rich’s parents pleaded in a Washington Post opinion piece for an end to political speculation about the July 2016 slaying, which they believe was a botched street robbery near Rich’s home in a gentrifying Washington D.C. neighborhood.
“We ask those purveying falsehoods to give us peace,” the Riches wrote.
Fox News retracted a story pushing claims that Rich was behind the leaks Tuesday. But a defiant Hannity insisted he wouldn’t back down. “I retracted nothing,” he said.
Hannity has relentlessly pushed unfounded suggestions that Rich might have been the source for the explosive Wikileaks dump of Democratic emails during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Far right wing supporters of President Trump believe the slaying of Rich might have been in retaliation for his supposed leaking. They claim that information could exonerate Trump of ties between his campaign and Russia, even though it is unclear how the two issues are related.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
