By Sean Murphy | Associated Press
The purchase of Alex Jones ‘ Infowars at a bankruptcy auction by the satirical news publication The Onion is the latest twist in a yearslong saga between the far-right conspiracy theorist and families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims.
The sale was ordered after relatives of many of the 20 children and six educators killed in the 2012 shooting successfully sued Jones and his company for defamation and emotional distress. Jones repeatedly made false claims on his show that the Newtown, Connecticut, shooting was a hoax staged by crisis actors to spur more gun control.
Here are some things to know about how Jones’ misinformation empire ended up on the auction block.
The rise of Infowars
Fresh out of high school in the early 1990s, Jones, a barrel-chested, gravelly voiced Texas native, started broadcasting on a public-access television channel in the state capital. From the start, Jones promoted conspiracies about the U.S. government and false claims about a secret New World Order.
In 2004, Jones had two employees and a tiny office in south Austin. In 2007, he formed Free Speech Systems, to run his growing media business, according to court records in his bankruptcy cases. By 2010, Jones had over 60 employees.
As the outlandish nature of his false claims grew, so did his media empire, with annual revenues of up to $80 million, and a fanbase that at his height listened to him on more than 100 radio stations across the United States as well as through his Infowars website and social media.
Jones’ Newtown lies
Jones has acknowledged in court that he promoted the conspiracy theory that the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax perpetrated in part by the U.S. government as part of an effort to expand gun control. He called the parents of slain children “crisis actors” on his show and said the shooting was “phony as a three-dollar bill.”
After separate defamation lawsuits were filed in Connecticut and Texas by family members of victims, Jones acknowledged in 2022 that the shooting was “100% real” and said it was “absolutely irresponsible” to call it a hoax.
The lawsuits against Jones
Victims’ families who sued Jones said they were subjected to years of torment, threats and abuse by people who believed the lies told on his show.
Courts in Texas and Connecticut found Jones liable for defamation for his portrayal of the Sandy Hook massacre as a hoax and awarded the families nearly $1.5 billion in damages. In both states, the judges issued default judgments finding Jones liable without trials because he failed to respond to court orders and turn over many documents. Juries then heard evidence and decided on the amount of damages, with judges tacking on additional penalties.
The sale of Jones’ Infowars empire
The auctions resulted from Jones’ personal bankruptcy case, which he filed in late 2022. Many of Jones’ personal assets also are being liquidated to help pay the judgment. Up for sale was everything from Jones’ studio desk to Infowars’ name, video archive, social media accounts and product trademarks. Buyers could even purchase an armored truck and video cameras.
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The Onion acquired Infowars’ website; social media accounts; studio in Austin, Texas; trademarks; and video archive. The sale price was not disclosed.
After the sale was announced, Infowars’ website was down and Jones was broadcasting from what he said was a new studio location.
Jones vowed to challenge the sale and auction process in court, and late Thursday a federal judge ordered a hearing into exactly how The Onion won the bidding. Lawyers for Jones and a company affiliated with Infowars alleged the trustee overseeing the auction changed the bidding process just days before it was held.