Fox News is now reporting, based on multiple investigative sources, that Seth Rich -- the Democratic National Committee staffer who was gunned down in Northwest D.C. near his home last July -- leaked thousands of DNC emails to WikiLeaks in the months beforehand.
According to Fox News' Malia Zimmerman, these new revelations are consistent with the findings of Rod Wheeler, a former D.C. homicide detective and Fox News contributor. Wheeler told Fox 5 DC that there is evidence on Rich's laptop that confirms he was emailing WikiLeaks prior to his death. Wheeler's law enforcement sources also allegedly claimed they were told to "stand down" on investigating the crime.
Rich's family, however, has denounced Wheeler's claims in a statement, calling them "unsubstantiated."
Via Fox News:
A federal investigator who reviewed an FBI forensic report -- generated within 96 hours after DNC staffer Seth Rich's murder -- detailing the contents Rich’s computer said he made contact with WikiLeaks through Gavin MacFadyen, a now-deceased American investigative reporter, documentary filmmaker, and director of WikiLeaks who was living in London at the time.
“I have seen and read the emails between Seth Rich and WikiLeaks,” the federal investigator told Fox News, confirming the MacFadyen connection. He said the emails are in possession of the FBI, while the stalled case is in the hands of the Washington Police Department.
The revelation is consistent with the findings of Rod Wheeler, a former DC homicide detective and Fox News contributor and whose private investigation firm was hired by a third party on behalf of Rich’s family to probe the case. Rich was shot from behind in the wee hours, but was not robbed.
“My investigation up to this point shows there was some degree of email exchange between Seth Rich and WikiLeaks,” Wheeler said. “I do believe that the answers to who murdered Seth Rich sits on his computer on a shelf at the DC police or FBI headquarters.”
The federal investigator, who requested anonymity, said 44,053 emails and 17,761 attachments between Democratic National Committee leaders, spanning from January 2015 through late May 2016, were transferred from Rich to MacFadyen before May 21.
Investigator: Murdered DNC Staffer Was Communicating with WikiLeaks Prior to Death
Rich left Lou’s City Bar, a couple miles from his home, at about 1:15 a.m. on July 10. His immediate activities after leaving the bar remain a mystery:
He walked home, calling several people along the way. He called his father, Joel Rich, who he missed because he had gone to sleep. He talked with a fraternity brother and his girlfriend, Kelsey Mulka.
Around 4:17 a.m., Rich was about a block from his home when Mulka, still on the phone with him, heard voices in the background. Rich reassured her that he was steps away from being at his front door and hung up.
Two minutes later, Rich was shot twice. Police were on the scene within three minutes. Rich sustained bruising on his hands and face. He remained conscious, but died at a nearby hospital less than two hours later.
Police detectives will not say whether Rich provided them with any clues about the identity of his attackers or their motivation, Wheeler said. However, Wheeler believes Rich could have provided information prior to his death of who was responsible for carrying out his murder.