Current:Home > MarketsAlex Jones' Infowars set to be auctioned off to help pay victims of Sandy Hook defamation case-InfoLens
Alex Jones' Infowars set to be auctioned off to help pay victims of Sandy Hook defamation case
View Date:2024-12-23 12:01:04
Infowars, the media platform owned by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, and its assets will be sold off this fall to help pay the more than $1 billion he owes the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez said in a Tuesday court hearing he would approve the order, which will force Jones to sell off the assets in auctions in November, court records say.
Free Speech Systems, which is Infowar's parent company and owned in totality by Jones, will have its ownership transferred to the trustee overseeing Jones's personal bankruptcy case before being sold off.
Jones has vowed to his supporters that he will continue to produce content even after losing control of his company and has said the assets to Infowars could be bought by his supporters.
A two-year odyssey enters its last stages
Back in 2022, the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting won a defamation case of $1.5 billion after they accused the conservative talk-show host of calling the 2012 shooting which left 20 children and six adults dead, a hoax staged by “crisis actors.”
The effects from this case were felt immediately for Jones, who filed for bankruptcy protection as well as his company.
The families that launched the lawsuit against Jones said they were traumatized by his comments and had been harassed and threatened by Jones' supporters following his comments on his show.
Some were confronted in person and were told by Jones' supporters the shooting had never happened. In one case, a parent suing Jones said one of Jones' supporters threatened to dig up his son's grave.
Liquidation ordered in June
Lopez ordered to convert Jones' bankruptcy reorganization into a liquidation back in June, which means all of his assets will be sold off except his main home and any other exempt property. It is expected that the sell-off auction will begin on Nov. 13, court records said.
Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families in one of the lawsuits against Jones, told the Associated Press the auctions are an important step forward.
“Alex Jones will no longer own or control the company he built,” Mattei said, according to the AP. “This brings the families closer to their goal of holding him accountable for the harm he has caused.”
The items up for sale in November will include Infowars’ trademarks, copyrighted material, social media accounts and websites. However, Jones’ personal social media profiles will not be included in the sale.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
veryGood! (1676)
Related
- How to protect your Social Security number from the Dark Web
- Olympic officials address gender eligibility as boxers prepare to fight
- Chicago woman of viral 'green dress girl' fame sparks discourse over proper club attire
- Hawaii Gov. Josh Green tells AP a $4 billion settlement for 2023 Maui wildfire could come next week
- Gavin Rossdale Makes Rare Public Appearance With Girlfriend Xhoana Xheneti
- Kamala Harris, Megyn Kelly and why the sexist attacks are so dangerous
- What Kamala Harris has said (and done) about student loans during her career
- Federal judge says New Jersey’s ban on AR-15 rifles is unconstitutional
- Congress returns to unfinished business and a new Trump era
- Kathie Lee Gifford hospitalized with fractured pelvis after fall: 'Unbelievably painful'
Ranking
- Don't Miss Cameron Diaz's Return to the Big Screen Alongside Jamie Foxx in Back in Action Trailer
- Christina Hall Reacts to Possibility of Replacing Ex Josh Hall With Ant Anstead on The Flip Off
- Inmate identified as white supremacist gang leader among 3 killed in Nevada prison brawl
- 9-month-old boy dies in backseat of hot car after parent forgets daycare drop-off
- Democrat Cleo Fields wins re-drawn Louisiana congressional district, flipping red seat blue
- Nicola Peltz Beckham accuses grooming company of 'reckless and malicious conduct' after dog's death
- Watch: Orioles' Jackson Holliday crushes grand slam for first MLB home run
- Governor appoints new adjutant general of the Mississippi National Guard
Recommendation
-
Cameron Brink set to make Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut
-
Treat Yourself to These Luxury Beauty Products That Are Totally Worth the Splurge
-
When does 'Emily in Paris' Season 4 come out? Premiere date, cast, trailer
-
GOP Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine opposes fall ballot effort to replace troubled political mapmaking system
-
Where is 'College GameDay' for Week 12? Location, what to know for ESPN show
-
Guantanamo inmate accused of being main plotter of 9/11 attacks to plead guilty
-
Inmate identified as white supremacist gang leader among 3 killed in Nevada prison brawl
-
2024 Olympics: British Swimmer Luke Greenbank Disqualified for Breaking Surprising Rule