A Houston bankruptcy judge ordered the personal assets of Alex Jones, the Infowars conspiracy theorist, to be liquidated and sold to distribute the proceeds among the Sandy Hook families. However, Jones was spared from having to shut down his Infowars business. This decision allows Jones to continue broadcasting while the families pursue payment of defamation damages. The outcome divided the Sandy Hook families, with some in Texas favoring the decision to keep Jones on the air for potential increased damages, while those in Connecticut preferred settling for less money and shutting him down.
The families are not likely to receive the damages soon as Jones is appealing the judgments against him, which is expected to take years. Despite $5 million estimated value of Jones’s personal assets, it is significantly lower than the $1.4 billion awarded to the families. Dividing this amount comes to less than $250,000 per plaintiff. However, bankruptcy-related costs are paid first. The judge’s decision comes nearly a dozen years after the Sandy Hook tragedy in 2012, in which 20 first graders and six educators lost their lives. Jones falsely spread lies about the massacre being a hoax, causing immense harm to the families of the victims.
Relatives of 10 victims sued Jones for defamation and were awarded over $1.4 billion in damages in Texas and Connecticut trials. As Jones’s company faced bankruptcy in 2022, he also declared personal bankruptcy. Both sides of the Sandy Hook families agreed on liquidating Jones’s personal assets under Chapter 7 bankruptcy and distributing the proceeds among them. Jones has prepared for this outcome by listing his possessions for sale, including a 127-acre game ranch in Texas.
The families divided on how to pursue Jones’s company, with those in Connecticut favoring shutting down Infowars and distributing the assets among the family members, despite minimal returns. Closure of the company was emphasized as more important than money. Jones has profited from promoting conspiracy theories and selling various products. He has stirred outrage among listeners about the liquidation effort and misinformation about a conspiracy to silence Infowars. Despite the judges’ decision, Jones is expected to regroup under a new business name eventually.
Lawyers for the families will continue to pursue Jones for his earnings through any business endeavor. They also aim to get a pledge from Jones not to discuss the shooting or the victims on his show again. The impact of Jones’s defamatory lies on the families is immeasurable, with the judge expressing regret about the ruling as Father’s Day weekend began. Jones’s father, a financial backer to Infowars, has been advised to buy products from his father’s supplement line. Despite the decision, Jones never lost control of his business and may still return to broadcasting in the future.
