The satirical news outlet The Onion acquired InfoWars on Thursday, marking the culmination of years of legal battles and bankruptcy proceedings following InfoWars founder Alex Jones’ defamation of families connected to the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.
The families supported The Onion‘s bid to purchase InfoWars’ assets, which include its website, customer data, inventory, certain social media accounts, and production equipment. To ensure the bid’s success, the Connecticut families agreed to forgo part of their financial recovery to boost its value.
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The families expressed hope that the acquisition would put an end to Jones’ platform for misinformation.
“We were told this outcome would be nearly impossible, but we are no strangers to impossible fights,” said Robbie Parker, whose daughter Emilie was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting. “The world needs to see that having a platform doesn’t mean you’re above accountability. The dismantling of Alex Jones’ assets and the end of InfoWars is the justice we have long fought for.”
In 2022, the families secured a $1.4 billion verdict in a Connecticut defamation lawsuit against Jones. By June 2024, a Texas bankruptcy court ordered the liquidation of Jones’ assets, handing control to an independent trustee to maximize the recovery for the families.
Attorney Chris Mattei, representing the Connecticut plaintiffs, noted the families’ unwavering commitment to accountability. “They rejected Jones’ hollow offers of allegedly greater money if he could remain on the air, knowing it would put others at risk. Their courage and integrity have made this outcome possible,” Mattei said.
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Jones, who filed for bankruptcy last year in an attempt to evade the judgment, was ruled liable for payment by U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Christopher Lopez. The judge found the damages stemmed from willful and malicious harm, which bankruptcy protections cannot shield.
Jones had repeatedly claimed on InfoWars that the Sandy Hook shooting, which killed 26 people, including 20 young children, was a hoax orchestrated by actors as part of a government conspiracy to promote gun control.