Infowars files for bankruptcy as founder Alex Jones faces lawsuit over Sandy Hook comment

Sunday’s bankruptcy filing in Texas brought civil lawsuits to a halt while the business rearranged its finances.

In court filings, Infowars said it had estimated assets of $50,000 or less and estimated liabilities of $1 million to $10 million. Creditors named in the bankruptcy filing include relatives of some of the 20 children and six educators killed in the 2012 Connecticut school massacre.

The plaintiffs in that case have said they were harassed and threatened with death by Jones’ followers because of a prank plot Jones promoted. Jones has admitted the shooting happened. The family won the Jones defamation lawsuit.

Christopher Mattei, who represents families in Connecticut, said: “Alex Jones is just delaying the inevitable: a public trial in which he will be held accountable for his campaign of deception because his profits against the Sandy Hook family, who brought this lawsuit,” said Christopher Mattei, who represents the Connecticut families, suing Jones.

An attorney for Jones did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Monday.

Last month, Jones was fined $75,000 for not appearing to be brought down in a smear case but a judge last week ordered the money back because Jones finally showed up.

Another lawsuit has just been filed accusing Jones of hiding millions of dollars in assets, but an attorney for Jones has called the allegation “ridiculous”.

Neil Heslin, whose 6-year-old son, Jesse Lewis, died in the Newtown school shooting, said he didn’t immediately know how the bankruptcy would affect his defamation lawsuit against Jones in Texas, where a trial for the amount of damages awarded to Jones. payments to families should begin next week.

“What is it like,” Heslin said. “We’ll see where it goes. He’s tried everything to avoid everything.”

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Associated Press writer Dave Collins of Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.

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The video in the media player above was used in a previous report.