WOMP WOMP

Feds Charge Rioter Who Right-Wing Conspiracists Insisted Was a Fed

Tucker Carlson and Joe Rogan were convinced Ray Epps was a provocateur whose presence proved Jan. 6 was a “false flag” operation.

The feds charged Ray Epps with Jan. 6-related offenses on Tuesday, promptly putting to bed an absurd right-wing conspiracy theory that Epps was a government agent whose presence on Jan. 6 proved that the riot was an inside job. The theory, spread by Tucker Carlson and Joe Rogan, exploded after Epps vanished from the FBI’s website of most wanted rioters. It became so widely shared that even members of Congress mentioned it in hearings, and other rioters referenced it in their defenses. Epps later sued Fox News and Carlson for defamation, saying the lies had destroyed his life and even resulted in some nutjobs shooting at his property. Epps was charged Tuesday with a misdemeanor count of disorderly or disruptive conduct on restricted grounds. NBC News reported that he was charged by information that suggests a plea deal is likely. Epps doesn’t appear to have entered the Capitol building on Jan. 6 but was seen on Capitol grounds. Most other protesters who didn’t enter the building have only been charged if they engaged in egregious conduct. Epps’ lawyers didn’t respond to NBC’s request for comment.