Alex Jones, the notorious conspiracy theorist and founder of InfoWars, has taken steps to liquidate his personal assets to satisfy the $1.5 billion he owes to the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre victims. The debt stems from multiple defamation lawsuits, where Jones falsely claimed the 2012 school shooting was a hoax orchestrated by the government to push for stricter gun control laws.
On Thursday, Jones asked a judge to convert his bankruptcy filing to a Chapter 7 liquidation, effectively relinquishing his efforts to save InfoWars, the platform he used to disseminate his conspiracy theories. In recent broadcasts, Jones lamented that he was being "targeted for abuse" by "deep state" actors and pleaded with his audience to support him by purchasing his dietary supplements. Despite his public appeals, the move towards liquidation seems inevitable.
"There is no reasonable prospect of a successful reorganization," Jones' attorneys wrote in a court filing, signaling the end of his control over Free Speech Systems, the parent company of InfoWars. This development came shortly after the Sandy Hook families requested the Texas judge overseeing Jones' bankruptcy case to liquidate his assets, including InfoWars and Free Speech Systems.
Avi Moshenberg, a lawyer representing the Sandy Hook families, explained that the liquidation would mean Jones' ownership in Free Speech Systems would be sold, effectively dismantling his long-held conspiracy theory empire. "This move ultimately means his ownership in Free Speech Systems is going to get sold," Moshenberg told CNN.
In an uncharacteristic departure from his usual rhetoric, Jones remained silent on the Friday taping of his show. Earlier in the week, he had ranted emotionally about being "abused" by the Sandy Hook families and the legal system, but by Friday, he reverted to his typical dissemination of baseless claims.
The legal saga dates back to 2022 when courts in Texas and Connecticut ordered Jones to pay $1.5 billion to the families of Sandy Hook victims. These rulings found that his false claims about the massacre caused severe emotional distress to the families of the 20 children and six educators who were killed in the tragedy.
Jones' recent actions mark a significant shift in his financial and operational strategy. He has acknowledged that the future of InfoWars is bleak. "There's really no avenue out of this," Jones admitted on his radio show over the weekend. He speculated that InfoWars could be shut down within months, adding, "I'm kind of in the bunker here. And don't worry. I'll come back. The enemy can't help but do this attack."
The liquidation process will likely result in Jones having to sell most of his assets, including InfoWars. However, he could retain certain personal belongings and his home, which are typically exempt from bankruptcy liquidation. The proceeds from the sale of his assets will be directed to his creditors, primarily the Sandy Hook families.
