Seth Rich conspiracy theorists retract and apologize for making false statements while resolving the process

Seth Rich conspiracy theorists retract and apologize for making false statements while resolving the process

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“I take full responsibility for my comments and I apologize for any pain I have caused,” said businessman Ed Butowsky in a statement portraying his previous comments. “I sincerely hope that the Rich family will be able to find out who murdered their son and end this tragic chapter in their lives.”

“Today we retract and reject our statements and offer our apologies to Mr. Rich and his family,” said Internet activist Matt Couch, in a separate video posted online. “I take full responsibility for my actions … and I would like to apologize to Mr. Rich and his family.”

The retractions came as part of an agreement that Aaron Rich, brother of Seth Rich, reached with Butowsky and Couch because of a lawsuit he filed against them in March 2018. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The Washington Times, a conservative news agency that was also sued, also withdrew its claims and made a deal with Aaron Rich in October 2018.

In a statement, Aaron Rich said he was “pleased” that the two had “taken responsibility for the statements they made”.

“In the more than four years since we lost Seth, the accusations made against our family have only served to prolong our pain, without approaching us to find Seth’s killer,” added Aaron Rich. “While we are never at peace until we get justice for Seth’s murder, I hope that these events can encourage others to take a break and consider the impact of accusing strangers of transgression, make room for law enforcement to do their job and let’s remember Seth in peace and privacy. “

Fox News closes lawsuit with Seth Rich's family
In November last year, Fox News filed a separate lawsuit with Seth Rich’s parents, who sued the network for developing what the lawsuit called a “false” story about their son’s death that caused them “mental anguish and emotional suffering, emotional pain and suffering, and any other physical and mental injuries. “

Seth Rich was shot dead in Washington, DC, in July 2016. Police said the evidence indicates that he was the victim of a failed robbery, but after his death, far-right activists and media organizations suggested something much more. sinister.

Without real evidence, these far-right activists propagated a conspiracy theory that postulated that Seth Rich leaked a treasure trove of DNC emails to Wikileaks and was killed in return for the alleged leak. The theory was convenient for some on the right, as they contested claims that Russia had hacked the DNC, which President Donald Trump contested.

But the 2019 report by former special adviser Robert Mueller, who investigated the role of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 elections, discredited the whole conspiracy theory. That report noted that WikiLeaks was communicating with Russian military intelligence officers about documents stolen from the DNC before and after Rich’s death.

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