The story that circulated this week about Seth Rich, the Democratic National Committee staffer who was murdered near his home in Washington, D.C., last year, has fallen apart entirely, leaving nothing but the most faithful conspiracy theorists clinging to a single FoxNews.com anonymous source.
The reports that went around this week alleged that the slain DNC data analyst was in contact with WikiLeaks prior to his death on July 10, 2016. WikiLeaks, of course, published thousands of emails pilfered from accounts belonging to DNC officials and failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, John Podesta, during the 2016 election.
One version of the Rich story this week came from a Washington, D.C., Fox News affiliate, Fox 5, which cited a private investigator who claimed to have uncovered evidence of the collusion.
Rod Wheeler, an ex-D.C. homicide detective who works now as a private investigator and occasional Fox News contributor, claimed in an interview with the D.C.-based Fox affiliate that the proof resides in Rich’s laptop.
“You have sources at the FBI saying that there is information that could link Seth Rich to WikiLeaks?” the Fox 5 reporter asked.
“Absolutely,” Wheeler said. “And that’s confirmed.”
FoxNews.com reported separately that the private investigator said, “My investigation up to this point shows there was some degree of email exchange between Seth Rich and WikiLeaks.”
Wheeler, who was dismissed from the DC Metropolitan Police Department in 1995, has since recanted his story.
“I only got that [information] from the reporter at Fox News,” Wheeler told CNN.
He later told BuzzFeed that he was taken out of context by Fox reporters.
“That story on Fox 5 last night was inaccurate,” Wheeler said. “I don’t even know where the computers are.”
The separate FoxNews.com report cited an additional source outside of Wheeler. This unnamed source, a supposed “federal investigator,” claimed the murdered staffer was in contact with WikiLeaks via the late journalist Gavin MacFadyen.
Rich reportedly handed over 44,053 emails and 17,761 attachments belonging to top DNC staffers to MacFadyen before May 21, FoxNews.com’s source said. The anonymous tipster also claimed the FBI conducted a forensic analysis of Rich’s laptop within 96 hours of his death.
However, FBI officials have responded since by telling both Newsweek and NBC News that the bureau is not involved in the Rich case.
And there’s one last piece of busted up nonsense in this lousy story.
Wheeler had been recommended to Rich’s family by financial adviser and Fox News contributor Ed Butowsky. On Tuesday, the conservative businessman and occasional Breitbart News contributor outright lied about his involvement in Wheeler’s investigation.
“I’m not involved with any of what you said,” he told NBC. “This can’t possibly go well. I didn’t pay anybody. I didn’t hire anybody.”
His involvement in this news cycle was revealed by Rich family spokesman Brad Bauman, whose body of work includes consultation services to Democratic candidates.
Butowsky admitted later to CNN that he was indeed involved in setting up the Rich’s with Wheeler.
“I didn’t want to talk to NBC,” he explained about the lying.
Where does this leave us? A detective who has recanted his story, a conservative benefactor who has been caught in a boldfaced lie and FBI officials who deny their agency has been involved in any way in the Rich case, contrary to what was initially reported. Also, the Rich family is furious about the reports this week.
Basically, all we’re left with is FoxNews.com’s anonymous source and his awfully specific figures about the number of emails Rich supposedly shared with WikiLeaks.
If that’s not enough, and you think this story still has real legs, well…
