Alex Jones’s Assets Can Be Liquidated
For years, U.S. conspiracy theorist Jones claimed that the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the U.S. never happened. Therefore, he is now required to pay billions in damages. A U.S. court has now approved the liquidation of his assets.
The right-wing U.S. conspiracy theorist Alex Jones must sell personal assets in the face of billion-dollar compensation claims. However, his company will not be touched for now. This was decided by a Texas bankruptcy court, according to U.S. media reports.
The founder of the online portal “Infowars” from the far-right orbit around former President Donald Trump filed for bankruptcy in 2022. Previously, he had claimed for years that the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the state of Connecticut had been staged by actors. In December 2012, a 20-year-old had shot and killed 20 school children and six teachers there.
Several relatives sued Jones for his claims in different lawsuits and were successful – he was ordered to pay a total of around $1.5 billion (approximately 1.4 billion euros) in damages.
Dubious Income Sources
The 50-year-old primarily earns his money by selling dubious dietary supplements on his far-right online portal “Infowars,” through which he spreads various conspiracy theories and engages in political propaganda. With the Friday ruling, he can continue to operate there.
There is disagreement among the Sandy Hook victims’ relatives on this matter. Some are mainly concerned with silencing Jones and shutting down the website. They would be willing to accept a lower amount of damages. Others want to financially penalize Jones and demand the entire sum.
This has created a dilemma because Jones must first earn the money to pay it. Whether and when the victims’ families will be paid by him remains uncertain, as he has appealed in the cases. The “Washington Post” also reported that Jones had transferred millions to other companies owned by family and friends before the court proceedings.
Jones Fears the End of “Infowars”
Before the court’s decision, Jones had told journalists himself that it probably means “the end of Infowars very, very soon.” His “fight against tyranny” has only just begun. On Friday, the Infowars website mentioned that this could be its “final broadcast.”
Only this week, the tragedy of Sandy Hook in the U.S. was once again very present. On Wednesday, dozens of students who survived the massacre twelve years ago and still struggle with severe traumas to this day attended their graduation ceremony.