Ray Epps, a prominent figure in the Jan 6 Capitol riot, recently sat down for a remarkably uncritical interview with 60 Minutes to discuss his involvement in the events of that day.
However, Epps' interview has been met with skepticism, as some are questioning whether he may have been a "fed" or FBI plant.
The allegations stem from reporting by Revolver News and Tucker Carlson, which suggested that Epps may have been working with law enforcement in some capacity leading up to the riot. The theory is based on video footage from the day of the riot, which appears to show Epps in conversations with other individuals who later went on to enter the Capitol building.
60 Minutes began the segment by stating that “the FBI issued a statement saying that ‘Ray Epps has never been an FBI source of an FBI employee.’”
During the interview with 60 Minutes, Epps denied the allegations, asserting that he had not been working with law enforcement in any capacity.
"I have never worked with the FBI, I have never been a confidential informant, and I have never been paid by the government for any reason," Epps said. "I was simply exercising my right to free speech, and I had no knowledge of any plans to breach the Capitol or engage in violent activity."
When asked about a text he sent, saying “I orchestrated it,” Epps said that he was merely trying to boast to his nephew.
Epps' denials, however, have done little to quell the suspicions of those who believe he may have been involved in some kind of law enforcement operation. Revolver News, in particular, has been at the forefront of questioning Epps, pointing to Epps' apparent ease of access to the Capitol building as evidence of his potential ties to law enforcement.
"Ray Epps was able to get within spitting distance of the Capitol building on January 6, despite the fact that he had been seen on video inciting protesters to breach the building just hours earlier," Revolver News wrote in a recent article. "This raises serious questions about who he was really working for."
For some reason, 60 Minutes did not bother to include comment from Revolver News editor Darren Beattie.
Tucker Carlson has also been vocal in his skepticism of Epps' story, suggesting on his show that the FBI may have played a role in inciting the riot.
"The FBI has a long history of infiltrating political movements and working to undermine them from within," Carlson said in a recent episode of his show. "It's entirely possible that they were involved in some capacity on January 6, and Ray Epps may have been their point man."
Carlson was also not contacted for the story.
Epps pushed back against the questions by Carlson and Beattie during the softball interview on 60 Minutes, stating that he had no knowledge of any law enforcement operation on the day of the riot. He also accused Carlson of being "obsessed" with him and "going to any means possible" to destroy his life.
"I was simply there to exercise my right to free speech, and to support the president," Epps said during the 60 Minutes interview. "I had no knowledge of any wider conspiracy, and I was not acting at the behest of any law enforcement agency."
More than 1,000 Americans have been arrested and detained for their alleged participation in the Capitol riot of January 6. Their treatment during detainment, while awaiting trial, has been called out by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, among others.
Epps, a notable figure from that day, was interviewed by the partisan January 6 select committee, though he was not arrested, and the committee saw no further need to inquire as to his activities.
