Jones’ disinformation website InfoWars could be pushed to declare bankruptcy in one of the highest defamation awards in US history
By Josie Ensor, US CORRESPONDENT, NEW YORK 12 October 2022 • 9:37pm
The far-Right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was on Wednesday ordered to pay nearly $1billion in damages to the families of the victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting for falsely claiming the massacre was a hoax.
The $965m (£870m) compensation decision was reached by a jury following a three-week civil trial in Waterbury, Connecticut, not far from where a gunman killed 20 children and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary in the deadliest school shooting in US history.
Lawyers for families of eight victims during closing arguments last week said Mr Jones cashed in for years on lies about the shooting, which drove traffic to his website InfoWars and boosted sales of its various products.
InfoWars could be pushed to declare bankruptcy if forced to pay the full amount – one of the highest defamation awards in US history.
Mr Jones, 48, peddled false stories for years, claiming the massacre was staged as part of a government plot to take away Americans’ guns, that it was a “false flag” attack, and that the parents of the victims were “crisis actors.”
The families suffered a decade-long campaign of harassment and death threats by Mr Jones’ many millions of followers, attorney Chris Mattei said.
Mark Barden, who lost his son Daniel, said Jones’ supporters verbally attacked him and even chased him while screaming that he was a liar. He also testified that his son’s grave was vandalised.
“Every single one of these families (was) drowning in grief, and Alex Jones put his foot right on top of them,” Mr Mattei told jurors.
Another attorney, Norman Pattis, urged them to ignore the political undercurrents in the case.
“This is not a case about politics,” Mr Pattis said. “It’s about how much to compensate the plaintiffs.”
The trial was marked by weeks of anguished testimony from the families, who filled the gallery each day and took turns recounting how Mr Jones’ lies about Sandy Hook compounded their grief. An FBI agent who responded to the shooting is also a plaintiff in the case.
Mr Jones, who has since acknowledged that the shooting occurred, also testified and briefly threw the trial into chaos as he railed against his “liberal” critics and refused to apologise to the families.
The case presented the greatest financial risk to Mr Jones, because he was found liable of violating Connecticut’s Unfair Trade Practices Act and there is no cap on punitive damages under that law.
It came two months after another jury found that Mr Jones and his company must pay $49.3 million to Sandy Hook parents in a similar case in Austin, Texas, where the headquarters of Infowars is located.
Mr Jones’ lawyers have said they hope to void most of the payout in the Texas case before it is approved by a judge, calling it excessive under state law.
He has a third Sandy Hook damages trial pending stemming from a defamation suit he lost.
How is this relevant to Ukraine? The evil liar Jones runs a massive hate and lies site that is an extension of the putinazi propaganda machine. He is an effective participant in putler’s wars. Alexandr Dugin is a frequent guest on his putrid “shows”, where he is treated with the reverence of an international statesman, rather than the genocidal nazi that he actually is. Jones is a frequent guest on RT, where he is always billed as an “expert.” He is of course a Trump-lover and the feeling is mutual. Incredibly, Trump has appeared as a guest several times. An English nazi; Paul Joseph Watson, built such a reputation for Ukraine hatred on infowars, that he now has his own vile conspiracy site that is as bad as infowars. He has been spewing out Ukraine hatred since at least 2014.
Good news for Ukraine! This sack of crap is part of mafia land’s massive hate campaign against Ukraine. I hope that’ll be the end of the lying Info Wars.
At last.
Hopefully, although I doubt so, this will be an end to just one of far too many lying cunts that make money Parasiting off gullible fools and mentally ill.
His UK analogue; the equally vile David Icke, needs to go the same way.
As a member of one of many harmless institutions targeted by these shitweasels, you will know them well.
I still think the Masons must withdraw from putlerstan though. At least until it has given up fascist imperialism and genocide.
I know what the loony icke is, and all his moronic followers, I used to go to ‘his’ forum to attempt to discuss Freemasonry, but they are all so indoctrinated and genuinely mentally ill, I, in common with every other Mason there had to leave because they drive you mad too.
The situation in moskovia cannot be easily addressed by us though as we make a promise to not get involved in Politics as an Organisation. We have to be neutral.
A lot of Freemasons in moskovia are foreigners too which further complicates matters. We can’t ‘withdraw’ as such because the Grand Lodge of russia is an independent body, rules itself.
We could only withdraw recognition if they failed to meet one of the Ancient Landmarks.
I am surprised the paedo hasn’t outlawed Freemasonry actually.
Parasites such s these should be severely punished when they lie about anything and then go on to con others such as their idiot followers.
Quite a number of putinoid scum in Moscow are in fact Masons. Including TV presenters.
The international body that oversees Freemasonry could and should disown all the Russian lodges and ban their members from every lodge in the world.
I don’t wish to piss on your Strawberries Scradge, but how do you know they are Freemasons?
The Grand Lodge of Russia has lodges throughout Russia and the CIS. One of the Moscow lodges has celebrities in its membership. Sort of like the Chelsea Lodge in London.
At least two are well known TV celebrities. As they are not putlerites, I won’t name them.
As for the propagandists, Solovyov is thought to be a current or ex member.
But that is beside the point: international freemasonry must disown the Russian lodges and ban the members from visiting any lodge outside Russia.
Naziism is incompatible with freemasonry and even if many or most Russian members are not putlerites, they all have to suffer.
There are Scradge, but unless they have publicly announced they are Freemasons, so far as other Freemasons are concerned, they are not or we don’t know.
‘We’ cannot publicly ‘out’ them, especially if we don’t personally know them.
No you cannot.
That is why ALL in Russia must be disowned and banned everywhere outside Russia.
It is consistent with my view of international corporations operating in Russia. They are technically not criminals, yet they are aiding and abetting genocide. Which is why I have stated that 100% of their Russian profits must go to Ukraine. I’m talking about huge companies like Nestles, P&G,Mars, Auchan etc.
Just saw the other part of your post!
I will have to check, but I don’t think ‘we’ can withdraw recognition, or to put it better, there are only a few reasons ‘we’ can withdraw recognition.
I will try to check this evening and post those reasons here, providing I can find them!
The award is unlikely to ever be paid.