A federal judge has ordered the liquidation of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ personal assets to help pay the $1.5 billion debt he owes for his false claims that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax. This decision was made on Friday, while the judge is still considering the bankruptcy case of Jones’ company, Free Speech Systems, which owns the Infowars media platform.
Judge Christopher Lopez approved the conversion of Jones’ proposed personal bankruptcy reorganization to a liquidation. Jones’ personal assets, including his Texas ranch valued at about $2.8 million and a gun collection, will be sold off to pay debts. However, his primary home in the Austin area and some other belongings are exempt from the liquidation.
The fate of Free Speech Systems is still uncertain. If the company is also liquidated, Jones would lose control of Infowars, including its studios, equipment, social media accounts, and copyrights. A bankruptcy trustee would oversee the liquidation process. The Sandy Hook families are also seeking to take control of Jones’ personal social media accounts, which he opposes.
The legal battles stem from Jones’ false claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, which killed 20 first graders and six educators in Newtown, Connecticut, was a hoax. Relatives of the victims won lawsuit judgments totaling more than $1.4 billion in Connecticut and $49 million in Texas. These families have testified about the harassment and threats they faced from Jones’ followers, some of whom claimed the shooting never happened.
The Sandy Hook families’ lawyers argue that liquidating Free Speech Systems would allow them to enforce their judgments and prevent Jones from continuing to inflict harm through his broadcasts. Chris Mattei, a lawyer for the families in the Connecticut case, stated that the liquidation would “deprive Jones of the ability to inflict mass harm as he has done for some 25 years.”
Jones and Free Speech Systems initially filed for bankruptcy reorganization protection, which would have allowed Jones to continue running Infowars while using revenue to pay the families. However, the parties could not agree on a final plan, leading to the current push for liquidation.
Jones has been vocal about his belief that the legal actions against him are part of a conspiracy by Democrats and the “deep state” to shut down his companies and silence his free speech. He has also accused the Sandy Hook families of being used as pawns in this alleged conspiracy.
The Sandy Hook families have a pending lawsuit in Texas accusing Jones of illegally diverting and hiding millions of dollars, allegations which Jones denies. As the legal proceedings continue, the future of Infowars and Jones’ ability to continue his broadcasts remains uncertain.
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