Lawsuit alleges Seth Rich conspiracy was manufactured by Fox News to distract from the Russia investigation

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A retracted Fox News story about the murder of Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich was allegedly made up by the network and a supporter of President Trump to distract from stories about the administration's possible collusion with Moscow, a lawsuit obtained by NPR claims.

Private investigator Rod Wheeler, who was Fox News' source for the Seth Rich story, claims in his lawsuit that Fox News reporter Malia Zimmerman made up quotes and attributed them to him in order to spin the story that Rich was killed "mysteriously" after allegedly contacting WikiLeaks. Zimmerman's report was rejected by Rich's family as a conspiracy theory; Washington, D.C., police have said Rich's death was likely a botched robbery attempt.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.