There is no other way to put it: the New York Times portrayed Ray Epps as the victim of hostile right-wing forces trying to submerge him in their conspiracy theory that he was instrumental in getting the J6 attack to happen. Truly.

NEW YORK TIMES: A Trump Backer's Downfall as the Target of a Jan. 6 Conspiracy Theory: Ray Epps became the unwitting face of an attempt by pro-Trump forces to promote the baseless idea that the F.B.I. was behind the attack on the Capitol.

Here is the unwitting Ray Epps being swept along in a crowd (note him sauntering in lower right quadrant of first three seconds):