A Texas bankruptcy court judge has approved the liquidation of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ personal assets, allowing for repayment to the families of victims from the Sandy Hook shooting. Last week, Jones agreed to convert his personal bankruptcy into a Chapter 7 liquidation, a move that was approved by Judge Christopher Lopez. Jones sought bankruptcy protection after agreeing to demands from Sandy Hook victims’ families, who are owed over $1 billion in damages due to Jones lying about the 2012 school massacre. This ruling sets the stage for Jones to no longer own Infowars, the media company he founded that has been used to spread lies and conspiracy theories while enriching himself.
The judge will also consider liquidating Jones’ company Free Speech Systems, the parent company of Infowars, to pay the judgments to the Sandy Hook families. Jones acknowledged that Infowars may come to an end as part of his ongoing bankruptcy case, but he expressed determination to continue fighting against what he perceives as tyranny. The proceeds from the potential sale of Infowars will only amount to a fraction of what Jones owes the Sandy Hook families, who have not yet received payment on the judgments they have won totaling approximately $1.5 billion. The families argued that Jones’ company could not produce a proper reorganization plan under Chapter 11 bankruptcy and pushed for the liquidation of Infowars and Free Speech Systems.
The process of shutting down Infowars could happen quickly, with a court-appointed trustee responsible for securing assets and selling off Jones’ media empire, including the website, studio space, and broadcasting equipment. While the judge’s ruling does not prevent Jones from spreading conspiracy theories online, the Sandy Hook families are hoping to seize his social media accounts, which they view as crucial to his InfoWars business. Although Jones may still have platforms to spread his views, such as far-right outlets, he may not be welcomed by all, evidenced by being dropped from the lineup of a live tour stop hosted by Tucker Carlson without explanation.
Jones has cultivated a following on Infowars by promoting various conspiracy theories, including falsely claiming the Sandy Hook shooting was a staged government operation. He has made money by selling high-priced dietary supplements to his audience. Despite the potential liquidation of his media empire, Jones has a history of finding alternative means to share his outlandish views, such as his social media accounts being restored by Elon Musk and potentially making appearances on other platforms. The story is still developing and will be updated as new information emerges.
