Fox News 'better get the checkbook out' for latest 'not-hard-to-prove' defamation case: Morning Joe

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough warned Fox News was about to lose another defamation lawsuit related to its coverage of the 2020 election and its aftermath.

Donald Trump supporter Ray Epps has sued the conservative network for claims by Tucker Carlson and other broadcasters on air accusing him of being an agent provocateur and federal agent, which forced him and his wife to go into hiding to avoid death threats, and the "Morning Joe" host said Fox News was likely to be found liable.

"I mean, his life, he's right, has been ruined," Scarborough said. "The lies were told day in and day out and day in and day out. It was a conspiracy theory, much like a conspiracy theory against those poll workers in Georgia. The lies that they told about ordinary people just living their lives. By the way, I mean, Ray Epps is attacked by these far-right freaks and conspiracy theorists. He's attacked for doing exactly what these far-right freaks claimed everybody did, which was, oh, they just went up to the Capitol, it was just a rally. Ray Epps was saying, 'Yeah, let's go to the Capitol and protest.' You're exactly right, when things got out of hand, you could see on the video, he's like, 'Hey.' He's doing what I hope, what I know, any good patriotic American would do, like, 'Hey, hey, the cops have a job to do, respect them. Let's not hurt anybody, let's keep this in line.'"

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"So that was the lie that people on Fox News were telling about everybody, saying, 'Oh, look, I mean, talking about Tucker Carlson, he said, 'Oh, this was just another peaceful day of protesting, a day in paradise,'" Scarborough continued. "In fact, Ray Epps was set up as an FBI stooge, according to these people, because that's exactly what he did. His life has been ruined. You talk to politicians who have been attacked by people -- I don't want to say their names -- certain people who used to work for Fox News. Their security had to increase, their lives were ruined. Day in and day out, here you have this guy, not a public figure."

"Let me say that again, not a public figure, not used to this," he added. "The death threats, the security problems they had, I'm telling you, if I'm representing Fox News, I'm saying, 'Get your checkbook out and start writing.' They're going to have to do it again, Tucker Carlson is probably going to do it again because this guy isn't a public figure. It's not going to be hard for him to prove defamation."

Watch the video below or at this link.

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