Judge orders Infowars assets sold to pay Sandy Hook families
A Texas judge has cleared the way for the sale of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ platform, Infowars. The goal of the sale is to pay the more than one billion dollars Jones owes the families of Sandy Hook shooting victims.
On Wednesday, the judge ordered that Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems, be handed over to a court-appointed receiver. That receiver can seize everything from cash and equipment to the Infowars name itself and sell it off to satisfy Jones’ debts.
Jones found guilty of defamation
A civil jury found Jones guilty of defamation in 2022. He had falsely claimed the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre, which left 20 children and six educators dead in Newtown, Connecticut, was a hoax. According to NPR, Jones’ fans harassed the Sandy Hook victims’ families following his claims.
Since the verdict, Jones has not paid one cent of the damages. Now, the families hope to see some accountability.
“The families are pleased that the court has placed InfoWars parent company into receivership, which will finally lead to accountability for Alex Jones’ monstrously cruel harassment” said Mark Bankston, one of the attorneys for the families.
The Onion’s bid for Infowars
The move reopens the door for satirical outlet The Onion to revive its bid for the conspiracy-driven platform. It previously won Infowars at a court-mandated auction. However, a federal judge later halted the sale, citing concerns about the bids and the auction process.
The judge said victims’ families should pursue their winnings at a state-level court rather than the federal.
The Onion has not commented on the recent developments, but previously stated it would continue to pursue purchasing Infowars.
Jones responds to Infowars sale
Following the judge’s ruling, Jones appeared on the Infowars platform and stated that he was “pissed off” but had “resigned” to Infowars’ sale. He promised to continue broadcasting under a different brand.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
