Infowars to be shut down, trustee in Alex Jones bankruptcy case says

The trustee in Alex Jones’ bankruptcy case plans to shut down Infowars and sell off the conspiracy theorist's remaining assets to pay $1.5 billion he owes to families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass killing victims, according to an emergency motion filed Sunday.

Christopher Murray, the court-appointed trustee, filed a motion requesting that the court intervene to prevent creditors — in this case, families of the victims owed damages by Jones — from prematurely trying to seize payment before an “orderly sale” of Jones’ remaining assets can be completed.

Jones, owner and creator of the far-right media platform, declared bankruptcy in December 2022 after being found liable in two separate defamation trials brought by the families of children killed during the 2012 mass killing at Sandy Hook in Connecticut. The judges in both cases found that Jones caused malicious harm to families by falsely stating that the massacre had been staged as propaganda against Second Amendment gun rights.

Judges found Jones liable for $1.5 billion in compensatory and punitive damages, leading the broadcaster and conspiracy theorist to list between $1 billion and $10 billion of liability in his bankruptcy filing.

Earlier this month, a Houston federal judge ruled that Jones’ personal assets, including his ownership of Infowars, would be liquidated to help pay off the damages he owes. But the judge also rejected a motion brought by the Sandy Hook victims' families to liquidate Free Speech Systems, the parent company of Infowars.

Judge Christopher Lopez of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of Texas said it would be in the best interest of Jones' creditors for the company to continue operating, basing his decision on the company's testimony that Free Speech Systems was most profitable when Jones was on the air.

The dismissal of the bankruptcy case against Free Speech Systems meant that the victims' families could go after Jones' assets in court. Two of the Sandy Hook parents, Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, sought a court order that would allow them to seize Free Speech Systems’ cash. Murray then filed the emergency motion to block that effort.

Since being found liable in the Sandy Hook defamation cases, Jones has faced additional legal action for attempting to withhold or hide assets from plaintiffs, with victims’ families recently pushing Jones to convert from a Chapter 11 to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The latter would allow liquidation with fewer attorney and court fees.

Jones has stated that he plans to move his show to a different platform but has yet to announce where.

Despite filing for bankruptcy, Jones will still owe $1.1 billion in damages after his assets have been auctioned off, according to an October ruling. A Houston judge decided bankruptcy would not shield Jones from all his remaining legal debts because he was found guilty of inflicting “willful or malicious injury.” Jones is in the process of appealing that decision.

Reuters contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Emergency motion says Infowars will be shut down