UPDATE: A Texas judge has just announced a major development in the legal battle involving conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Judge Maya Guerra Gamble has appointed a receiver to take over and sell off assets of Infowars to help pay over $1 billion in damages awarded to the families of Sandy Hook shooting victims.
This urgent court order, issued in Austin on Wednesday, could potentially shut Jones out of his studio within days. It also reopens discussions about a bid from The Onion, which aims to transform Infowars into a parody platform. “We’re working on it,” stated Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion, in a social media post.
On his show Thursday, Jones declared the Texas court order improper and insisted he would continue broadcasting, even if locked out of his current studio. He claimed to have an alternative studio ready, asserting, “People want to hear this show. I will continue on with the network. They can harass me forever. … And they won’t get me off the air.”
The legal saga stems from the 2012 Sandy Hook tragedy, where 20 first graders and six educators were killed. Families of the victims successfully sued Jones for defamation, claiming his repeated assertions that the shooting was a hoax caused them emotional distress. In total, they have secured nearly $1.5 billion in judgments against Jones and his parent company, Free Speech Systems.
Following bankruptcy filings by Jones and Free Speech Systems in 2022, a federal court judge directed that Infowars’ assets, including production equipment, be auctioned to satisfy the Sandy Hook judgments. However, prior auction efforts faced setbacks when Judge Christopher Lopez rejected the outcome of a November auction that named The Onion as the winning bidder, citing transparency issues. Jones has labeled the auction process as “rigged.”
The latest court order gives Free Speech Systems just five days from formal service to turn over its assets. Proceeds from any sales will be directed to the Sandy Hook families. Judge Gamble has authorized the receiver to change locks on all locations containing Free Speech Systems assets and to enlist law enforcement to ensure a smooth transition.
It remains unclear when the order will be served or when the receiver, Gregory Milligan, plans to commence asset liquidation. Jones’ legal representative, Ben Broocks, has not commented on the matter.
Jones contends that the state court order is invalid, asserting that Free Speech Systems’ assets remain under federal bankruptcy control. He mentioned a state court hearing scheduled for September 16, where the future of Infowars could be addressed. “Infowars could be closed next week, or it may be able to keep operating pending the hearing,” Jones stated, expressing uncertainty about the immediate future.
In a previous incident last November, an auction led to a temporary shutdown of Infowars’ Austin studio for about 24 hours, only for operations to resume shortly after. During this downtime, Jones relocated to a nearby studio to continue his broadcasts.
Despite the ongoing legal troubles, Jones continues to appeal the judgments, citing free speech rights and alleged judicial misconduct in both Texas and Connecticut. As this situation develops, the implications for both Jones and Infowars remain significant, with public interest surging.
Stay tuned for further updates on this unfolding story that impacts numerous lives and legal precedents.
