Infowars To Be Shut Down, Assets Sold to Compensate Sandy Hook Families

The trustee in Alex Jones’ bankruptcy case plans to shut down Infowars and sell off the conspiracy theorist's remaining assets, including his ownership of the far-right media platform. This comes as an effort to pay off the $1.5 billion he owes to the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass killing victims, according to an emergency motion filed Sunday.

"I do not know when payments will be made, but it will not be immediate."
Christopher Murray, court-appointed trustee

Murray filed the motion to prevent creditors, the families of the victims, from trying to seize payment before Jones’ assets can be sold. Jones declared bankruptcy in 2022 after being found liable in two defamation trials brought by families of the children killed during the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre. He was found to have caused malicious harm by falsely stating the event was staged, and judges ordered him to pay $1.5 billion in damages.

A Houston federal judge ruled this month that Jones' personal assets would be liquidated, but denied a request to liquidate Free Speech Systems, Infowars' parent company. This led to two Sandy Hook parents seeking a court order to seize the company's cash, prompting Murray's emergency motion.

Jones has faced additional legal troubles for trying to hide assets, and recently announced plans to move his show to a new platform. Despite the bankruptcy, he will still owe $1.1 billion, as a Houston judge ruled bankruptcy would not shield him from all debts due to the nature of his crimes.

References:

• https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txs.237681/gov.uscourts.txs.237681.176.0_1.pdf?tag=recap
• https://www.reuters.com/legal/alex-jones-filed-fraudulent-bankruptcy-sandy-hook-families-say-court-2023-01-04/
• https://www.npr.org/2022/05/04/1094109241/texas-court-rules-alex-jones-infowars-owe-nearly-1-billion-slander-sandy-hook