Infowars to be Shut Down
A US bankruptcy court trustee plans to shut down Alex Jones’ Infowars platform and liquidate its assets to pay $1.5 billion in lawsuit judgments for calling the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting a hoax.
Liquidation Plans
Trustee Christopher Murray filed an emergency motion to wind down Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems (FSS), and liquidate its inventory. Murray did not specify a timeline.
Jones stated Infowars might operate for a few more months before shutting down. He plans to continue broadcasting, possibly on social media, and mentioned someone might buy the company.
Legal and Financial Actions
Murray requested US Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez to halt the Sandy Hook families’ efforts to collect the $1.5 billion. Lawyers for the parents of Jesse Lewis, one of the children killed, asked a Texas state judge to order FSS to turn over assets. Judge Maya Guerra Gamble approved, prompting Murray’s motion.
Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis won a $50 million verdict in Texas. In Connecticut, Jones was ordered to pay over $1.4 billion for defamation and emotional distress.
Trustee’s Concerns
Murray asked the judge to clarify his authority over Jones’ bank accounts. Jones has about $9 million in personal assets, while FSS has around $6 million in cash and $1.2 million in inventory. The families have not received any payments yet and may receive only a fraction of the owed amount.
Ongoing Appeals
Jones and FSS filed for bankruptcy protection in 2022, the same year the families won their lawsuits. The bankruptcy cases had put a hold on the families’ efforts to collect $1.5 billion. The dismissal of the FSS bankruptcy means the families must shift their collection efforts to state courts in Texas and Connecticut.
Jones is appealing the judgments and has acknowledged the reality of the Sandy Hook shooting, claiming free speech rights allowed him to state otherwise.