Far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones‘ Inforwars filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as he faces defamation lawsuits for comments he made regarding the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy halts civil litigation while the company reevaluates and moves finances around. Infowars will be able to continue operating during this time. In the filing, Infowars reported assets of up to $50,000 and liabilities between $1 to $10 million.
Late last month, Connecticut judge Barbara Bellis ordered Jones to pay $75,000 after he failed to show up to his March 23 and 24 deposition dates citing an illness. After Jones ended up participating in a deposition on April 6, Bellis said the money would be returned to him.
Families of victims from the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that left 20 first-graders and six educators dead sued Jones for defamation after he called the massacre a “hoax” to promote gun control. The families say they have been subject to harassment from Jones’ supporters. The conspiracy theorist has since walked back his statements and said he does believe the shooting actually happened.
Jones has lost three defamation cases over his comments. He offered to pay each plaintiff $120,000, but the offer was denied. A new trial is slated to begin in August to determine how much money Jones will owe the relatives of the victims in damages.
