Alex Jones agrees to liquidate his assets to pay Sandy Hook families, in move that would end his ownership of Infowars
Right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on Thursday moved to liquidate his personal assets, agreeing to demands from the families of Sandy Hook victims whom he owes more than $1.5 billion in damages over his lies about the 2012 school massacre.
The seismic move paves the way for a future in which Jones no longer owns Infowars, the influential conspiracy empire he founded in the late 1990s. Over the years, Jones has not only used the media company to poison the public discourse with vile lies and conspiracy theories, but also to enrich himself to the tune of millions of dollars.
Prior to Thursday, Jones had resisted converting his personal bankruptcy into a Chapter 7 liquidation. But facing mounting legal pressure, he reversed course and caved to the demands of the Sandy Hook families, who have still not seen a penny from Jones since juries in Connecticut and Texas found him liable in 2022 for defamation and emotional distress. His lawyers said in a filing that there was “no reasonable prospect for a successful reorganization” and that continuing down the path would only result in additional expenses incurred by Jones.
The legal maneuver ultimately “means [Jones’] ownership in Free Speech Systems is going to get sold,” Avi Moshenberg, an attorney who represents some of the Sandy Hook families, told CNN on Thursday night, referencing the parent company of Infowars.
“Converting the case to Chapter 7 will hasten the end of these bankruptcies and facilitate the liquidation of Jones’s assets, which is the same reason we have moved to convert his company’s case to Chapter 7,” Chris Mattei, another attorney representing Sandy Hook families, told CNN.
Jones technically has not controlled the Infowars business for some time, given that Free Speech Systems has also filed for bankruptcy protection. The company’s business has, thus, been under the supervision of a court appointed restructuring officer.
A hearing is scheduled for next Friday to determine the fate of Free Speech Systems’ bankruptcy.
But regardless of what happens in that case, Thursday’s legal move sets the stage for a court-appointed trustee to liquidate Jones’ personal assets, which includes his stake in Infowars.
The liquidation of Jones’ assets does not mean that Infowars will cease to exist. Several outcomes are possible. The court-appointed trustee could sell the business to another owner, for instance.
A representative for Jones did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night.
On Dec. 14, 2012, just hours after a gunman murdered 20 children and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., Infowars host Alex Jones told listeners and watchers that the massacre was “staged” by opponents of Second Amendment rights.
“I said, ‘They are going to come after our guns, look for mass shootings,’” Jones said on his program. “And then magically, it happens.”
For years, the conspiracy theorist’s show grew in popularity while he claimed grieving parents were paid “crisis actors” and that the shooting never happened. And for years, death threats and harassment from Jones’ supporters forced victims’ parents to live in fear.
Now, nearly two years after juries in Austin and Waterbury, Conn., awarded the families of Sandy Hook victims a total of $1.5 billion in damages for defamation, a Houston judge has said he will consider families’ requests that Jones’ media company be liquidated.
Victims’ relatives still haven’t seen a dime of the awards.
Here’s a timeline of the legal fallout of Jones’ inflammatory claims:
April 2018: First Sandy Hook defamation suits filed against Jones in Texas
Three parents of Sandy Hook victims — Meil Heslin, Leonard Pozner and Veronique De La Rosa — filed two separate defamation lawsuits against Jones and Free Speech Systems, the parent company of Jones’ show “Infowars,” over claims about the Sandy Hook shooting that Jones made in several broadcasts. The petitions were filed in state district courts in Travis County, where Jones’ Austin studio was and still is located.
May 2018: 13 family members sue Jones in Connecticut
Thirteen family members of Sandy Hook victims and one FBI agent sued Jones and several shell companies connected to him in Connecticut for defamation and emotional distress caused by Jones’ claims and his supporters’ harassment and threats.
September and November 2021: In default judgments, Jones found guilty of defamation
After Jones failed to turn over documents such as “Infowars” recordings and refused to comply with court orders, judges in Texas and Connecticut entered default judgments against him, finding Jones guilty of defamation.
