Infowars files for bankruptcy protection as founder Alex Jones faces defamation lawsuits
Infowars filed for Chapter 11 chapter safety as the web site’s founder and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones faces defamation lawsuits over his feedback that the Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty taking pictures was a hoax.
The chapter submitting Sunday in Texas places civil litigation on maintain whereas the enterprise reorganizes its funds.
In its courtroom submitting, Infowars stated it had estimated property of $50,000 US or much less and estimated liabilities of $1 million US to $10 million US. Collectors listed within the chapter submitting embrace kinfolk of a number of the 20 kids and 6 educators killed within the 2012 faculty bloodbath in Connecticut.
The plaintiffs in that case have stated they’ve been subjected to harassment and loss of life threats from Jones’s followers due to the hoax conspiracy that Jones promoted. Jones has since conceded the taking pictures did occur. The households have already received defamation lawsuits towards Jones.
“Alex Jones is simply delaying the inevitable: a public trial during which he might be held accountable for his profit-driven marketing campaign of lies towards the Sandy Hook households who’ve introduced this lawsuit,” stated Christopher Mattei, who represents the households in a Connecticut lawsuit towards Jones.
An legal professional for Jones didn’t instantly return a message searching for remark Monday.
Final month, Jones was fined $75,000 US for failing to seem for a deposition in a defamation case, however a choose final week ordered the return of the cash as a result of Jones finally confirmed up.
One other newly filed lawsuit accuses Jones of hiding hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in property, however an legal professional for Jones has referred to as that allegation “ridiculous.”
Neil Heslin, whose six-year-old son, Jesse Lewis, died within the Newtown, Conn., faculty taking pictures, stated he didn’t instantly understand how the chapter will have an effect on his defamation lawsuit towards Jones in Texas, the place a trial on how a lot cash in damages Jones ought to pay the households is ready to start subsequent week.
“It’s what it’s,” Heslin stated. “We’ll see the place all of it goes. He is tried the whole lot to keep away from the whole lot.”
