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Federal judge dismisses Seth Rich case against Fox News

Mary Rich, the mother of slain DNC staffer Seth Rich, at a press conference. Photo: Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post via Getty Images

A federal judge has dismissed the lawsuit filed by the parents of Seth Rich, the former DNC staffer who was murdered in 2016, against Fox News, a reporter and a guest commentator over a retracted news story that tied his death to a conspiracy theory, CNN reports.

The details: Judge George B. Daniels from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York cited the plaintiff's "failure to state a claim." He explained that "each of the Plaintiffs' claims fail to adequately allege essential elements of the causes of action asserted," according to CNN.

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Seth Rich's brother has also filed suit against the Washington Times, a Texas businessman, and an internet activist seeking damages for reputational harm and emotional distress.

The backstory: Seth Rich's parents filed the lawsuit earlier this year against Fox News, reporter Malia Zimmerman, and guest commentator Ed Butowsky over a 2017 article that tied his death to a conspiracy theory that Rich had a hand in WikiLeaks' release of hacked DNC emails. They alleged the "sham story," later retracted, exploited their son's murder "through lies, misrepresentations, and half-truths."

  • They argued Fox News and the writers were liable for "intentional infliction of emotional distress" with the story's publication.
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