Family of slain DNC staffer sues Fox News for promoting a conspiracy theory about their son

The parents of a murdered former Democratic National Committee staffer are suing Fox News and two of its reporters for promoting a conspiracy theory that featured their dead son at its center.

ABC News reported Tuesday night that Joel and Mary Rich, the parents of former DNC employee Seth Rich who was murdered in 2016, are suing the network for contacting them and using their quotes under false pretenses.

The long-debunked conspiracy theory posits that the DNC had Rich murdered after he'd been in contact with WikiLeaks. In May of 2017, the network published on its website an article that, according to the lawsuit, contained "false and fabricated" information about the 27-year-old's murder, which police say took place as part of a botched robbery.

In the lawsuit, which was first obtained by ABC News, Rich's parents "claim that Fox News investigative reporter Malia Zimmerman and frequent guest Ed Butowsky reached out to the family under false pretenses." The suit contends that the reporters and the network "aided and abetted the intentional infliction of emotional distress" by the continued promotion of the story.