Alex Jones’ Infowars Will Be Auctioned Today To Help Pay Sandy Hook Families $1.5 Billion—Here’s What To Know
Alex Jones' inflammatory Infowars franchise will be auctioned Wednesday to help pay the nearly $1.5 billion Jones owes the families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, which he spread false conspiracy theories on, a judge ruled earlier this year—as officials consider the fate of his remaining assets.
Key Facts
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News PegAn auction for Infowars' intellectual property is scheduled for Wednesday. Judge Christopher Lopez approved auctions for Infowars and its assets in a ruling in September, despite objections from Jones' attorneys, according to court filings. The auctions will include Infowars' website, social media accounts, broadcasting equipment and trademarks owned by Free Speech Systems and other property belonging to the company, including an armored truck and video cameras, Lopez said in a court filing earlier this year. The court selected "qualified" buyers to a live, in-person auction on Wednesday after bidders submitted offers before a deadline ended last week. If none of the intellectual property is not sold at auction, court filings indicate they will remain in possession of the state, which would then be allowed to list the property for sale. This is unlikely, however: ThreeSixty Asset Advisors, which is helping to run the auction, told the Associated Press there has been a large number of inquiries.
What To Watch ForChristopher Murray, the trustee overseeing Jones' assets, reportedly said in court he would consider seeking court approval to sell Jones' personal social media accounts and his other intellectual property.
Can Alex Jones Continue To Broadcast?Jones has indicated he would continue broadcasting his show through other means, including on his social media account or another, NBC News reported . He also suggested Infowars could be purchased by his supporters, who would allow him to continue hosting the show. Jones' ally Roger Stone has proposed purchasing the show with other investors, according to the Associated Press.
What Did Alex Jones Say About Sandy Hook?Jones shared conspiracy theories hours after the Sandy Hook shooting took place—saying he believed "this is staged"—though he continued spreading false claims for years. He claimed the U.S. government "stages these things to get our guns," saying he had warned about "getting ready for big mass shootings" for months, "and then magically, it happens." He said parents whose children died in the shooting would be laughing, "and then they walk over to the camera and go 'boo hoo hoo,'" later claiming there were "photos of kids that are still alive they said died."
Key BackgroundIn 2012, 20 students and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, were killed in a shooting that Jones claimed on his InfoWars show to be a hoax. Jones has said he would be unable to pay the nearly $1.5 billion in damages to the families of Sandy Hook victims, saying the rulings were "hilarious."
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