Alex Jones, founder of Infowars, is facing a major setback as a bankruptcy court trustee moves to liquidate his media empire to pay the $1.5 billion he owes to Sandy Hook families.
According to Daily Mail, Alex Jones owes $1.5 billion to Sandy Hook families for defamation and emotional distress. A bankruptcy court trustee, Christopher Murray, is preparing to liquidate Infowars' parent company, Free Speech Systems (FSS), to pay the judgment. Jones posted a defiant video on social media, reacting to the news and claiming Infowars is "hard to kill."
Murray has filed an emergency motion to conduct an orderly wind-down of FSS and liquidate its inventory. He also requested a hold on the Sandy Hook families' efforts to collect the judgment to ensure an orderly process. Lawyers for the Sandy Hook families in Connecticut support the trustee's new motion.
Jones has been continuing his broadcasts and has stated he will find other ways to continue his shows. The bankruptcy cases have put an automatic hold on the families' collection efforts. Jones has about $9 million in personal assets, while FSS has about $6 million in cash and $1.2 million in inventory.
Lawyers for the Sandy Hook families and Jones have been unable to agree on a final bankruptcy plan. Jones filed for bankruptcy protection in 2022. The families have testified about harassment and threats from Jones' followers.
Jones is appealing the judgments in the state courts. He has not paid any of the judgment amounts yet. Jones has claimed his statements about Sandy Hook were protected by free speech rights.
In a recent video, Jones advised his viewers to avoid physical confrontation with the government amidst alleged federal scrutiny. He mentioned seeing "guards looking at me weird" and speculated about Infowars being shut down.
Christopher Murray, the bankruptcy trustee, emphasized the importance of an orderly liquidation process, stating, "The Trustee seeks this Court’s intervention to prevent a value-destructive money grab and allow an orderly process to take its course."
Jones has discussed the possibility of someone else buying Infowars and allowing him to continue as an employee. His lawyer previously described him as a "performance artist," suggesting his controversial statements were part of his media persona.
The legal battles surrounding Jones and Infowars have been ongoing, with Jones continuing to broadcast his views despite the mounting pressures. He has repeatedly asserted that his media company will survive in some form.
The financial situation of Free Speech Systems remains dire, with significant debts and limited assets. Murray's motion aims to bring some order to the process and prevent a chaotic asset seizure.
Jones' appeal efforts are also ongoing as he seeks to overturn the judgments against him. However, the road ahead remains uncertain for Jones and his media empire.
Alex Jones is facing the possible end of his media empire as a bankruptcy court trustee moves to liquidate Free Speech Systems to pay the $1.5 billion judgment owed to Sandy Hook families. Jones remains defiant, continuing to broadcast and asserting that Infowars will survive. The legal and financial turmoil surrounding Jones is ongoing, with no clear resolution in sight. Lawyers for the Sandy Hook families support the trustee's efforts to ensure an orderly liquidation process. The future of Infowars remains uncertain as the legal battles continue.
