Families of Sandy Hook shooting victims received a small consolation this week as a federal judge ordered the liquidation of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’s assets so that he could pay Sandy Hook victims’ families the $1.5 billion debt he owes for propagating a damaging and false narrative that the 2012 elementary school shooting was a hoax.
Liquidation of Infowars
The court-ordered liquidation of Jones’s assets includes Infowars, his far-right media platform. Jones has criticized this move as an effort by the court to silence him and put him out of business.
Jones’s Reaction
Jones said, “The bizarre political attempts to hijack the operation have failed…This is about taking me off the air. Understand that what you’ve seen in the corporate media about me, or what I said about Sandy Hook or any of this, has no bearing on reality.”
Ongoing Suffering of Families
The families who have continued to suffer the horrors of the school shooting have not been able to receive closure or financial relief due to Jones’s illiquidity as well as his personal and business bankruptcy legal cases.
Judicial Decision
Judge Christopher Lopez circumvented the delay by dismissing the business bankruptcy case and liquidating assets in the personal case, enabling a quick payout to families.
Path to Liquidation
The path to liquidation under Judge Lopez involves the appointment of a trustee to oversee the assets. Jones’s primary home and certain belongings are exempt from the ordered liquidation. His ranch in Texas and other assets are to be considered for the liquidation. Furthermore, Jones’s future earnings will be liable to fulfilling the judgment.
Jones’s Continued Defiance
Jones has expressed outrage that the court is attempting to silence him due to political differences and has committed to continue broadcasting despite the future of his company, Infowars.
Judge’s Clarification
Judge Lopez denied any political motivation, stating instead that his decision to liquidate the assets was to allow Jones’s creditors to receive compensation.
Judge Lopez’s Statement
Judge Lopez stated, “I was never asked today to make a decision to shut down a show or not. That was never going to happen today one way or another. This case is one of the more difficult cases I’ve had. When you look at it, I think creditors are better served in pursuing their state court rights [to compensation].”
Arguments by Families’ Lawyers
During the legal proceedings, the lawyers for Sandy Hook victims’ families made the argument that Jones was trying to get around paying his judgment to families by illegally diverting funds that should otherwise have been available to pay the judgment.
Lawyer’s Celebration
Sandy Hook families’ lawyer, Chris Mattei, celebrated the partial victory of Jones’s forced liquidation, stating that Infowars was “soon-to-be-defunct.”
Lawyer’s Statement
Mattei continued, “Today is a good day. Alex Jones has lost ownership of Infowars, the corrupt business he has used for years to attack the Connecticut families and so many others… Alex Jones is neither a martyr nor a victim. He is the perpetrator of the worst defamation in American history.”
Length of Legal Battle
This ruling comes following a beleaguering legal battle originating in 2018 that forced the Sandy Hook families to continue to suffer and relive the losses and indignities from Jones’s conspiracy theories for nearly seven years without resolution.
Jones’s Intention to Appeal
Jones has stated his intention to appeal the decision
