Seth Rich’s parents, Fox News settle over false claim he was killed for leaking damaging information in 2016 election
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Ron Kampeas November 25, 2020
(JTA) — Fox News and the parents of Seth Rich, the Jewish Democratic National Committee staffer killed near his Washington, D.C., home in 2016, settled the family’s lawsuit over a story that intimated he was killed for leaking damaging information about Democrats.
Joel and Mary Rich said they were “pleased with the settlement of this matter and sincerely hope that the media will take genuine caution in the future,” a number of outlets media reported Tuesday.
The conditions of the settlement and any payment were not revealed.
“We are pleased with the resolution of the claims and hope this enables Mr. and Mrs. Rich to find a small degree of peace and solace moving forward,” Fox News said.
The settlement comes as the family was set to depose Sean Hannity and Lou Dobbs, top Fox News hosts who peddled the falsehood.
The Riches sued Fox and a number of others involved in posting the story, which Fox eventually retracted, for “intentional infliction of emotional distress.” A federal judge dismissed the suit two years ago, but an appellate court returned it to the lower court.
Rich, 27, a Nebraska native, was shot dead while walking home before dawn on July 10, 2016. Police have speculated that he was the victim of a robbery gone awry. Rich’s body was found about a block from his home with his wallet, watch and cellphone still in his possession. His murder remains unsolved.
His death sparked several conspiracy theories falsely suggesting that he was targeted by Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign because he had leaked damaging emails.
A defamation lawsuit by Rich’s brother against individuals who peddle the conspiracy theory remains outstanding.
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