Alex Jones & ‘InfoWars’ Seeking Bankruptcy Protection After Sandy Hook Judgements

According to court documents filed Sunday, three companies tied to the far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, including his fringe media organization InfoWars, are seeking bankruptcy protection.

The move, which could pause civil litigation against the companies, comes after Jones was found legally responsible for damages in three defamation lawsuits related to false claims about the 2012 Sandy Hook mass shooting.

Jones baselessly said in the aftermath of the shooting that 26 people were killed that the incident was staged. Facing lawsuits, Jones has since acknowledged the shooting occurred. He said in a 2019 sworn deposition that a “form of psychosis” caused him at the time to believe it was staged.

Jones failed to appear at multiple deposition hearings last month, claiming that he was ill. Jones paid $75,000 in fines for missing two days, which his lawyer asked to be returned after the Infowars host eventually sat for a two-day deposition last week.

In a video interview uploaded to his website last week, Jones said he had acknowledged that the Sandy Hook shooting happened but alleged that Democrats were pushing to take down his website and curb his free speech rights.

“I walked back what I said about Sandy Hook years and years and years ago,” he said. “I’m not a villain, and I’m here to stand up for the First Amendment of all Americans.”

Jones was also found liable for defamation in two separate lawsuits by a Texas judge last year.

Mark Bangston, an attorney representing the parents of two Sandy Hook children in a Texas lawsuit, said in a statement, “None of the Mr. Jones’ ridiculous tricks have worked in the past, and this one will fare no better.”