In a surprising turn of events, the infamous far-right outlet Infowars, owned by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, is set to be shut down and sold off. This decision comes after a bankruptcy court-appointed trustee filed an emergency court filing on Sunday, marking the end of Jones’ media empire known for spreading dangerous misinformation and lies.
Earlier this month, a bankruptcy judge ruled that Jones’ personal assets would be liquidated to help pay off the nearly $1.5 billion he owes to the families of victims of the Sandy Hook massacre. However, at that time, the judge decided not to liquidate Jones’ media company Free Speech Systems, the parent company of Infowars, due to the costly and lengthy process involved.
The dismissal of the bankruptcy case against Infowars meant that the families of Sandy Hook victims could pursue Jones’ assets, including Infowars, in state court. As Jones is the owner of Free Speech Systems, a trustee was appointed to oversee the company.
The trustee, in a statement on Sunday, revealed plans to wind up Free Speech Systems’ operations and liquidate its assets. However, the process hit a roadblock when one of the Sandy Hook victim’s parents filed a motion in a Texas District Court seeking custody of all of Free Speech Systems’ assets, including Infowars.
As a result, Jones’ trustee requested an emergency stay in the case from the bankruptcy judge to facilitate an orderly wind-down and sale process of Infowars.
In response to this development, Christopher Mattei, an attorney representing Sandy Hook families in favor of liquidating the company, expressed disappointment. Mattei criticized the attempt by one set of parents to go after Free Speech Systems’ assets, stating that it undermined the families’ pursuit of a fair resolution.
Despite previously celebrating the judge’s decision not to liquidate Infowars’ parent company, Jones acknowledged that Infowars may only continue broadcasting for a few more months. Outside the courthouse, Jones stated his intention to maximize revenue from Infowars before winding down operations.
