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Infowars big Alex Jones filed for idiosyncratic bankruptcy extortion Friday successful Texas, citing debts that see astir $1.5 cardinal helium has been ordered to wage to families who sued him implicit his conspiracy theories astir the Sandy Hook schoolhouse massacre.
Jones filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy extortion successful Houston. His filing listed $1 cardinal to $10 cardinal successful liabilities and $1 cardinal to $10 cardinal successful assets.
Jones acknowledged the filing connected his Infowars broadcast, saying the lawsuit volition beryllium that he’s broke and asking viewers to store connected his website to assistance support the amusement connected the air.
“I’m officially retired of money, personally,” Jones said. “It’s each going to beryllium filed. It’s each going to beryllium public. And you volition spot that Alex Jones has astir nary cash.”
Jones, who sells dietary supplements and different items connected his Infowars tract and promotes them during his shows, said helium would not beryllium commenting further connected the bankruptcy.
For years, Jones described the 2012 massacre arsenic a hoax. A Connecticut assemblage successful October awarded victims’ families $965 cardinal successful compensatory damages, and a judge aboriginal tacked connected different $473 million successful punitive damages. Earlier successful the year, a Texas assemblage awarded the parents of a kid killed successful the shooting $49 cardinal successful damages.
The bankruptcy filing temporarily halted each proceedings successful the Connecticut case. A justice was forced to cancel a proceeding scheduled for Friday connected the Sandy Hook families’ petition to unafraid the assets of Jones and his institution to assistance wage the much than $1.4 cardinal successful damages awarded there.
Chris Mattei, an lawyer for the Sandy Hook families successful the Connecticut case, criticized the bankruptcy filing.
“Like each different cowardly determination Alex Jones has made, this bankruptcy volition not work,” Mattei said successful a statement. “The bankruptcy strategy does not support anyone who engages successful intentional and egregious attacks connected others, arsenic Mr. Jones did. The American judicial strategy volition clasp Alex Jones accountable, and we volition ne'er halt moving to enforce the jury’s verdict.”
An lawyer representing Jones successful the bankruptcy lawsuit did not instantly instrumentality a connection seeking comment.
In the Texas and Connecticut cases, immoderate relatives of the 20 children and six adults killed successful the schoolhouse shooting testified that they were threatened and harassed for years by radical who believed the lies told connected Jones’ show. One genitor testified that conspiracy theorists urinated connected his 7-year-old son’s sedate and threatened to excavation up the coffin.
Erica Lafferty, the girl of slain Sandy Hook main Dawn Hochsprung, testified that radical mailed rape threats to her house.
Jones has laughed astatine the awards connected his Infowars show, saying helium has little than $2 cardinal to his sanction and won’t beryllium capable to wage specified precocious amounts. Those comments contradicted the grounds of a forensic economist astatine the Texas trial, who said Jones and his institution Free Speech Systems person a combined nett worthy arsenic precocious arsenic $270 million. Free Speech Systems is besides seeking bankruptcy protection.
In documents filed successful July successful Free Speech Systems’ bankruptcy lawsuit successful Texas, a fund for the institution for Nov. 26 to Dec. 23 estimated merchandise income volition full astir $3 million, portion operating expenses volition beryllium astir $739,000. Jones’ wage is listed astatine $20,000 each 2 weeks.
Sandy Hook families person alleged successful different suit successful Texas that Jones hid millions of dollars successful assets aft victims’ relatives began taking him to court. Jones’ lawyer denied the allegation.
A 3rd proceedings implicit Jones’ comments connected Sandy Hook is expected to statesman wrong the adjacent 2 months successful Texas, successful a suit brought by the parents of different kid killed successful the shooting.
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Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut, and Bleed reported from Little Rock, Arkansas. Associated Press writer Jake Bleiberg successful Dallas contributed to this report.
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