A defamation lawsuit over a now-retracted Fox News story about the investigation into the 2016 murder of Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich was dismissed Thursday by U.S. District Judge George Daniels of the Southern District of New York.

“In this case, plaintiff and defendants embarked on a collective effort to support a sensational claim regarding Seth Rich’s murder,” Daniels wrote. “Plaintiff cannot now seek to avoid the consequences of his own complicity and coordinated assistance in perpetuating a politically motivated story not having any basis in fact.”