Commentator Involved In Retracted Fox News Seth Rich Story Sues NPR, Reporter For Defamation

Sued

ED BUTOWSKY, a financial advisor who was involved in the controversy over FOX NEWS CHANNEL's reporting on the SETH RICH murder, is suing NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO, reporter DAVID FOLKENFLIK, and several NPR executives, alleging defamation, business disparagement, civil conspiracy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

A story by FOLKENFLIK for NPR's MORNING EDITION on AUGUST 1, 2017 reported that private investigator ROD WHEELER, paid by BUTOWSKY to look into the JULY 2016 murder of SETH RICH, a DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE staffer, had alleged in a lawsuit that BUTOWSKY and FOX NEWS fabricated a story that RICH was murdered to cover up his involvement in the leaking of DNC emails to WIKILEAKS in order to deflect attention from the RUSSIA investigation. The FOX NEWS story, which suggested that Democrats were involved in RICH's death and a subsequent cover-up, was retracted a week after airing. In his lawsuit, BUTOWSKY claims that FOLKENFLIK is "renowned for his bias against the FOX NEWS Network" and "knowingly, intentionally and recklessly violated every principle of ethical journalism" in six articles, asserting that the articles' characterization of the original FOX story about the RICH case as "baseless," "fake news," and "deceptive" was "false and defamatory" and created in concert with WHEELER's attorney DOUGLAS WIGDOR.

BUTOWSKY is seeking $57 million in compensatory and punitive damages in the suit plus interest. JARL MOHN, STACEY FOXWELL, MICHAEL ORESKES, CHRISTOPHER TURPIN, EDITH CHAPIN, LESLIE COOK, HUGH DELLIOS, PALLAVI GOGOI, and SARAH GILBERT are also named as defendants along with FOLKENFLIK, NPR, and NPR.ORG.

NPR spokesperson ISABEL LARA told CURRENT.ORG that the network “stands behind" FOLKENFLIK's reporting; FOLKENFLIK told CURRENT “I’m proud of the journalism that we do at NPR, and of my coverage, generally, and on this story. I stand by my reporting.”

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