The death of Seth Rich, who was fatally shot in Washington, D.C., in July 2016, has spawned a wave of unproven theories among right-leaning outlets. | POLITICO Screengrab Seth Rich's brother sues conservative media figures for defamation

Aaron Rich, the brother of a Democratic National Committee staffer who was killed in 2016, is suing conservative media figures and The Washington Times for defamation, alleging in a lawsuit filed Monday that they spread false theories about the unsolved murder of Seth Rich.

The lawsuit alleges that Edward Butowsky, a wealthy financial adviser and guest commentator on the Fox Business Network; Matthew Couch, a conservative online activist; and America First Media, Couch’s organization, “falsely and repeatedly alleged in public statements” that Aaron Rich “is a criminal.” The lawsuit further claims The Washington Times, a conservative newspaper, offered a platform for the unfounded claims.


“The Defendants are entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to spread vicious lies about an innocent man,” Michael Gottlieb, Aaron Rich’s lawyer, said in a statement. “Those who defame and harass decent American citizens in an effort to advance their personal financial and partisan gain will be held accountable in court.”

The death of Seth Rich, who was fatally shot in Washington, D.C., in July 2016, has spawned a wave of unproven theories among right-leaning outlets.

POLITICO Playbook newsletter Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletter in politics Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Online theorists baselessly speculated that Seth Rich, who began working for the DNC in 2014, had been involved in the leak of internal emails during the 2016 campaign, though there is no evidence to support the claim. A Fox News story in May 2017 claiming that investigators had evidence showing Seth Rich leaked the DNC emails was later retracted. His parents have sued Fox News over the story.

According to Aaron Rich’s legal team, the defendants in the lawsuit floated the possibility that he conspired with his brother to leak the emails and cover up the action.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, seeks financial compensation for the “mental anguish and emotional distress” and “reputational damages” brought about by the individuals’ claims regarding Seth Rich’s death.

“There is no proof that Aaron engaged in any of the alleged conduct — nor could there be, because none of it happened,” Gottlieb said. “But Defendants are not interested in the truth. Instead, Defendants are motivated by personal notoriety, financial gain, and naked partisan aims — namely, a desire to discredit allegations that the Trump Campaign colluded with the Russian Government in the 2016 hack of the DNC and the subsequent dissemination of DNC documents on WikiLeaks.”

