Aaron Rich, the brother of Seth Rich, is suing conservative activists and media outlets for allegedly spreading conspiracy theories about the slain Democratic National Committee (DNC) staffer.
Aaron Rich filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia on Tuesday, according to CNN.
In the lawsuit, Aaron Rich names GOP donor and Fox Business guest Ed Butowsky, the Washington Times, and far-right media figure Matt Couch and his America First Media group, the network reported.
He alleges that the defendants acted with “reckless disregard for the truth” in pushing a conspiracy theory about him and his brother, it added.
Seth Rich was killed in Washington, D.C., in 2016, in what police say was a robbery gone wrong. In the aftermath of his death, unfounded conspiracy theories linked his death to the release of hacked emails from Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the DNC.
{mosads}Aaron Rich also alleges in the lawsuit that the defendants spread a conspiracy theory that he worked with his brother to leak the DNC emails to WikiLeaks and cover it up.
“Not satisfied with the existing conspiracy theory about Seth Rich … Defendants Ed Butowsky, Matt Couch, and America First Media have spent the past year creating and disseminating a made-up conspiracy theory that Aaron Rich was the technological know-how behind, and financial beneficiary of, Seth’s operation,” Aaron Rich’s attorney told CNN.
He is seeking damages for emotional distress and harm to his reputation.
Rich’s parents, Joel and Mary Rich, filed a lawsuit earlier this month against Fox News, alleging that the network and two of its guests reached out to the family under false pretenses in publishing a story that pushed the conspiracy theory about Seth Rich.