Why Isn't Fox 5 DC Retracting Its Explosive Seth Rich Story?

WASHINGTON, DC — A bombshell report by Fox 5 DC suggesting that DNC staffer Seth Rich was in touch with Wikileaks shortly before his death last year set the conservative media on fire earlier this week, but their only source has since backed out. However, the station hasn't made any attempt to retract their story yet, even though calls are growing for them to do so.

Fox 5 DC made the bold claim that there was "tangible" evidence that Rich had contacted Wikileaks, even going so far as to say that the station had "learned there is new information that could prove these theorists right."

Rich was killed last July in what police believe was a botched robbery. The claim that Rich contacted Wikileaks suggests that operatives working on behalf of Hillary Clinton murdered Rich in retaliation for leaking the emails, which led to revelations that the DNC was helping Clinton beat rival Bernie Sanders in the primaries and may have cost her the election. The claim also suggests that the widely held conclusion among federal investigative agencies that Russian hackers were behind the email leaks, not a low-level employee at the DNC, is completely wrong.

Fox 5 DC based their story on one source: Rod Wheeler, a Fox News contributor and vocal President Trump supporter who once claimed that pink pistol-packing lesbian gangs were roaming the D.C. area preying on girls. Wheeler claimed that he had a source in the FBI saying that there was evidence on Rich's computer of his contacts with Wikileaks.

The story fell apart almost immediately. As criticism mounted, Wheeler backtracked, saying that he didn't get his information from FBI sources but rather from already public news reports, and that there was a miscommunication with the Fox 5 reporter.

Also, the report made the false implication that Wheeler was working at the behest of Seth Rich's family. In fact, he was hired by a third party, who convinced the family to let him conduct an investigation on their behalf. Rich's family has since largely severed ties with Wheeler, although Wheeler claims that they remain tied via contract, and the family even issued a statement slamming Wheeler's claims as without merit.

After losing their only source, Fox 5 DC issued a clarification late Wednesday evening that was critical of Wheeler for backtracking on the story.

"Since Rod Wheeler backtracked Tuesday, FOX 5 DC attempted incessantly to communicate with him, but he didn't return calls or emails," the report states.

The Rich family said that it was exploring "legal avenues" in response to "Rod Wheeler's conduct over the last 48 hours," Fox 5 DC said.

However, the story remains on the site with the clarification attached to the top of it, and the station has provided no indication that it intends to issue a retraction. When Patch asked Fox 5 DC via email if they would do so, a station spokesperson simply referred to the clarification story.

The Twitter-sphere was unimpressed with the clarification:

@fox5dc Retract the story already
— derp (@brakeryan) May 18, 2017

@fox5dc Where's the apology to the family for your unethical behavior?
— CScott (@CScott54) May 18, 2017

@fox5dc Time to retract this story altogether.
— Bill Thomas (@BillThomas56) May 18, 2017

Image via Twitter and Fox 5 DC