The satirical news publication The Onion won the bid for Alex Jones’s Infowars in a bankruptcy auction, which was supported by the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, who were sued for $500,000 in a defamation judgment against Jones for calling the massacre a hoax. More than $1 billion is owed, the families announced on Thursday. ,
Robbie Parker, whose daughter Emily was killed in the 2012 shooting in Connecticut, said in a statement provided by his lawyers, “The dissolution of Alex Jones’s estate and the death of Infowars is the justice we have long been waiting for.” Were and fought for it.”
The sale price was not immediately disclosed.
Jones confirmed the acquisition of Infowars by The Onion in a social media video on Thursday and said he planned to file legal challenges to stop it. An email message seeking comment was sent to InfoWars.
“The final broadcast is now live from the Infowars studios. They are in the building. “Ordering a shutdown without court approval,” Jones said on social platform X.
Jones was broadcasting live from the InfoWars studios Thursday morning and appeared distraught, putting his head in his hands on his desk.
It was not immediately clear what The Onion planned to do with the conspiracy theory platform, including its website, social media accounts, a studio in Austin, Texas, trademarks and video archive. Chicago-based Onion did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Thursday.
Sealed bids for the private auction were opened on Wednesday. Both Jones supporters and opponents expressed interest in purchasing Infowars. Other bidders have not been disclosed.
The Onion, a satirical site that tricks people into believing absurd things, describes itself as “the world’s leading news publication, providing highly acclaimed, universally respected coverage of national, international and local news events” and Says it has 4.3 trillion. Daily Reader.
Jones has been saying on his show that if his opponents bought Infowars, he would move his daily broadcasts and product sales to a new studio, websites and social media accounts he had already set up. He also said that if his supporters win the bid, he may remain on the Infowars platform.
Relatives of several of the 20 children and six teachers killed in the shooting accused Jones and his company of defamation and infliction of emotional distress for repeatedly saying on his show that the Newtown, Connecticut shooting was an attempt by crisis actors to call for more gun control. It was a deception for promotion.
Parents and children of several victims testified that they were traumatized by Jones’s plots. Threats by his followers.
Lawsuits were filed in Connecticut and Texas. Attorneys for the families in the Connecticut lawsuit said they worked with The Onion to try to acquire Infowars.
