UPDATE: A Texas judge has just appointed a receiver to take control of Alex Jones’s Infowars assets, a critical step in enforcing over $1 billion in legal judgments owed to families of Sandy Hook shooting victims. The ruling by Judge Maya Guerra Gamble in Austin is expected to potentially shut Jones out of his studio within days.
The urgent order, issued on September 13, 2023, allows the receiver to oversee the sale of Infowars assets, including production equipment, to fulfill the financial liabilities stemming from the defamation lawsuits. The families were awarded nearly $1.5 billion following claims that Jones’s false narratives about the 2012 tragedy inflicted severe emotional distress.
Meanwhile, this decision has reignited interest from The Onion, a satirical publication, which is reportedly seeking to purchase Infowars to transform it into a parody platform. CEO Ben Collins stated on social media, “We’re working on it,” signaling an unexpected twist in the future of Jones’s controversial media outlet.
“People want to hear this show,” Jones stated on his broadcast, vowing to continue despite the court order. “I will continue on with the network. They can harass me forever… And they won’t get me off the air.”
Jones has indicated that if he is locked out, he has another studio ready to go, asserting his commitment to keep Infowars operational. However, the court ruling authorizes the receiver, Gregory Milligan, to change locks at all properties associated with Free Speech Systems, which owns Infowars, and allows law enforcement to assist in enforcing the order.
As the situation develops, it remains unclear when the order will be formally served and when the assets will be liquidated. If successful, any proceeds from the sale will go directly to the Sandy Hook families, who testified about the harassment they faced from Jones’s supporters as a result of his inflammatory rhetoric.
This latest development follows a tumultuous bankruptcy process for Jones and his company, which filed for bankruptcy in 2022. A federal Bankruptcy Court judge previously ordered assets to be auctioned, but a recent auction outcome was rejected due to concerns over transparency and the bidding process.
The Texas court’s decision indicates a significant shift in the handling of Jones’s assets, potentially paving the way for the liquidation process to proceed. Jones’s team has criticized the court order as invalid, claiming that Free Speech Systems’ assets are still under federal control due to the bankruptcy proceedings.
A hearing is scheduled for September 16, 2023, which could determine if Infowars continues to broadcast or faces imminent closure. Jones continues to appeal the judgments against him, citing free speech rights and alleged judicial misconduct.
The outcome of this case is crucial not only for the Sandy Hook families seeking justice but also for the future of Jones’s media presence, which has been a source of controversy and division across the nation.
As developments unfold, all eyes will be on the September hearing and the impending actions of the receiver, which may mark a significant turning point in this ongoing saga.