Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has agreed to sell his assets to help pay the enormous debt he owes to the families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims, about whom he has spread lies and slandered for years.
Jones’ decision to liquidate his assets this week ends his pursuit of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, as part of an effort to avoid paying the $1.5 billion he owes the families after they successfully sued him for defamation in Texas and Connecticut. The move could also cause him to lose ownership of Infowars, the far-right platform from which he lies that the deadly Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a “hoax” perpetrated to deprive Americans of their Second Amendment rights . The proceeds from the sale of his assets would go to his creditors and the families.
“Alex Jones hurt so many people,” Christopher Mattei, who represents the Sandy Hook families, said in a statement. “Connecticut families have fought for years to hold him accountable, no matter the cost and at great personal risk. Their steadfast focus on meaningful responsibility, not just money, has now brought him to the edge of justice in the way that matters most.”
Jones’ Chapter 7 liquidation won’t cover the debt he owes the families of the shooting victims, but it’s an outcome they were looking for. Last year, Jones offered the families a $55 million settlement, a fraction of the $1.5 billion he owes them. The families filed a counter-proposal to liquidate nearly all of his assets, including Free Speech Systems, the company that owns Infowars. A judge will decide on June 14 whether Free Speech Systems will be liquidated.
The far-right radio show host spent part of his Friday broadcast addressing the latest developments in his financial troubles, NBC News reported. He also lamented the potential impending demise of Infowars, though he suggested he might relaunch a similar platform.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
