How Sandy Hook families teamed up with The Onion in the battle for Infowars

How Sandy Hook families teamed up with The Onion in an attempt to finally turn the tables on Alex Jones - ABC NewsSkip to main contentABC NewsJust InFor YouPoliticsUS ElectionWorldBusinessAnalysisSportLifestyleEntertainmentMoreSearch the news, stories & peopleLog inNews HomeJust InFor YouAnalysisRuralWatch LiveHealthIndigenousPoliticsUS ElectionScienceElectionsWorldEnvironmentInvestigationsBusinessFact CheckLocal newsSportAFLNRLFootballTennisCricketNetballLifestyleWellbeingRelationships & FamilyFood & RecipesPersonal FinanceHome & GardenEntertainmentTV & MoviesBooksMusicPop CultureArtsYour ABC AccountPersonalise the news andstay in the knowLog in to personaliseFacebookYouTubeInstagramTwitterEmergencyBackstoryNewsletters中文新闻BERITA BAHASA INDONESIATOK PISINABCABC iViewABC ListenTriple JABC KidsABC NewsABC News News HomeHow Sandy Hook families teamed up with The Onion in an attempt to finally turn the tables on Alex JonesShare How Sandy Hook families teamed up with The Onion in an attempt to finally turn the tables on Alex JonesBy Elissa Steedman with wiresTopic:Media Industry11h ago11 hours agoSat 16 Nov 2024 at 7:09pmAlex Jones speaks outside the federal courthouse after a bankruptcy hearing in Houston. abc.net.au/news/how-sandy-hook-families-finally-turned-the-tables-on-alex-jones/104607770Link copiedShareShare articleThe purchase of Infowars by the satirical news publication The Onion is the latest twist in a years-long saga between far-right commentator Alex Jones and the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims.After decades of peddling conspiracy theories and misinformation, Infowars could be relaunched as a parody of itself in January.The sale was ordered after relatives of many of the 20 children and six teachers killed in the 2012 shooting successfully sued Jones and his company.The Onion's winning bid for Infowars is now under review by a federal bankruptcy judge after Jones and his lawyers complained about how the auction was conducted.Here's what you need to know about Jones's misinformation empire and how it ended up on the auction block.The rise of InfowarsFresh out of high school in the early 90s, at a time when satanic panic was rife, a barrel-chested and gravelly voiced Jones, began broadcasting on a public-access television channel in Texas.The Onion buys Infowars founded by Alex JonesPhoto shows Infowars founder Alex Jones looking sideways, wearing a suit.Jones owes $1.5 billion after defaming the families of those killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, claiming it was a hoax staged by crisis actors.From the start, he promoted conspiracies about the United States government and false claims about a secret new world order.In 1996, Jones made a leap to radio, hosting The Final Edition on KJFK.Just three years later, he was fired for his controversial opinions.By 1999, Jones had founded the website Infowars with his then-wife.At first, it served as a mail-order outlet for fans to purchase conspiracy-oriented videos but ultimately evolved into a prominent fake news brand and the host site for his self-produced podcast, The Alex Jones Show.And as the outlandish nature of his false claims grew, so too did his media empire.Jones had just two employees and a tiny office in south Austin in 2004. That ballooned to more than 60 employees by 2010.At his height, Jones was broadcast on more than 100 radio stations across the US, as well as through the Infowars website and social media.The Sandy Hook shootingLoading...On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza stormed Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where he shot and killed 26 people.Children aged between six and seven made up 20 of the victims and the other six were adult staff members.As first responders arrived at the scene, 20-year-old Lanza took his own life.Earlier that day, he had killed his mother, Nancy Lanza.In the years following the shooting, Jones repeatedly accused the Sandy Hook families of being "crisis actors" and called the events a "giant hoax" and a "false flag" operation staged to build support for gun control despite an overwhelming amount of verifiable evidence proving otherwise.Jones accused the bereaved family members of being "as phony as a three-dollar bill", which led to fans harassing the families at their homes and online.The lawsuitsAfter enduring several years of harassment, some of the Sandy Hook families sued Jones for defamation in Connecticut and Texas in 2018.Bill Sherlach, husband of Mary, one of the Sandy Hook School shooting victims, speaks to the media after jurors returned a $965 million judgement in 2022.  (AP: Bryan Woolston)In the deposition of one of those cases, Jones admitted he knew that his allegations the parents were acting were false.In both states, judges issued default statements, finding Jones liable without trials because he failed to respond to court orders and turn over evidence.The courts awarded the families nearly $US1.5 billion ($2.32 billion) in damages.But that came after years of Jones attempting to subvert proceedings through allegedly hiding assets and seemingly vexatious bankruptcy filings.The asset protectionWhile the trials were still ongoing, some of the Sandy Hook families accused Jones of attempting to hide assets in shell companies to protect them from any damages payouts.The lawsuit alleges Jones drew about $US18 million from Infowars over three years, starting in 2018 when the defamation lawsuits against him were filed.He is also accused of claiming a "dubious" $US54 million debt to a company called PQPR LLC, which the lawsuit alleges is indirectly or directly owned by Jones and his parents.The bankruptcy filingsAlong with suing Jones and Free Speech Systems, the parent company of Infowars, the Sandy Hook families had added a group of smaller companies owned by Free Speech Systems to the lawsuit when filing.In usual legal proceedings, doing so would minimise the defendant's ability to hide or divert assets.But a bankruptcy filing automatically pauses ongoing litigation pending against the filer.So in April, 2022, when three of those smaller companies owned by Jones filed for bankruptcy, legal proceedings in Texas ground to a halt.At the time, Jones's lawyer, Norm Pattis, alluded to the bankruptcies being a way to frustrate proceedings further."We're turning to the bankruptcy courts to compel the plaintiffs to estimate the value of their claims in open court by discernible evidentiary standards," Pattis, told the Wall Street Journal at the time."The plaintiffs have turned this litigation into a macabre morality play and have refused to negotiate in good faith. We hope they will show respect to the federal courts."But the apparent gambit failed when the Sandy Hook families dropped those companies from their lawsuit.It wasn't the end of Jones's stint in the bankruptcy court, though.In July 2022, he hit back by filing Free Speech Systems into Chapter 11.Soon after he was ordered to pay the Sandy Hook families the $US1.5 billion in damages, Jones gloated on-air that it "ain't gonna be happening"."Ain't no money," he said.Loading Twitter contentIn December that year, he also filed for personal bankruptcy.The carve upAfter months tied up in bankruptcy filings, a judge this year approved the liquidation of Free Speech Systems and approved its sale by auction.Infowars was to be sold for parts to pay the billions he owed the Sandy Hook families.Up for sale was everything from Jones's studio desk to Infowars' name, video archive, social media accounts and product trademarks.Buyers could even purchase an armoured truck and video cameras.A copy of the satirical outlet The Onion.  (AP: Jill Bleed)Enter The Onion.The satirical news outlet has for decades skewered politics and pop culture, including making Jones a frequent target of mocking articles.In a move that took many by surprise, The Onion acquired Infowars' website, social media accounts, studio, trademarks and video archives.Despite not making the highest offer, it managed to get the deal done with some help behind the scenes.At a court hearing on Thursday afternoon, the trustee who oversaw the auction, Chris Murray, said the Sandy Hook families had agreed to forgo a portion of the sale proceeds to pay Jones's other creditors."We thought it would be a funny joke if we bought this thing; probably one of the best jokes we've ever told," Ben Collins, the CEO of The Onion's parent company, Global Tetrahedron, said."The [Sandy Hook] families decided they would effectively join our bid, back our bid, to try and get us over the finish line."Because at the end of the day, it was us or Alex Jones — who could either continue this website unabated, basically unpunished for what he's done to these families over the years — or we could make a dumb, stupid website, and we decided to do the second thing."What's next in court?At a hastily called court hearing in Houston on Thursday, Judge Christopher Lopez ordered another hearing to be held next week.He wants to know what happened with the auction and how the bankruptcy trustee chose The Onion over the only other bidder — a company affiliated with a Jones product-selling website.A court hearing is typically held after a bankruptcy auction to finalise the winning bids and sales, and to hear any objections, so the process in Jones's case hasn't strayed far from the usual — yet.Judge Lopez said he had concerns about the auction process and transparency. Both sides are expected to present evidence at next week's hearing.Jones and a lawyer for First United American Companies allege Murray improperly selected The Onion's bid and unexpectedly changed the sale process on Monday after the sealed bids were submitted, by deciding not to hold a round of bidding on Wednesday. They also questioned the legality of The Onion's bid.Murray denied doing anything improper and said he followed the judge's auction rules.The judge would rule on whether the trustee properly ran the auction and selected The Onion as the winning bidder. If not, the possibilities include reopening the sale and holding an auction where potential buyers could outbid each other. The judge has the ultimate authority to accept or reject any sale of Infowars.An exact date for the hearing had not yet been scheduled by Friday afternoon.If the sale goes ahead, the Infowars website will be relaunched with satire aimed at conspiracy theorists and right-wing commentators.And in a final jab at Jones's misinformation machine, its sponsor will be Everytown for Gun Safety, which promotes gun violence prevention.ABC/APPosted 11h ago11 hours agoSat 16 Nov 2024 at 7:09pmShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesDaughters cling to hope Japan will acquit Perth mum who they say was victim of romance scamTopic:Courts and TrialsPhoto shows A photo on a table showing Donna Nelson with her arm around her eldest daughter Ash and another daughter off to the sideXi Jinping tells Biden China 'ready to work' with Trump administrationTopic:APEC Economic Leaders' MeetingsPhoto shows Joe Biden and Xi Jinping wearing dark suits and shaking hands in front of US and Chinese flagsAustralia struggling with oversupply of solar powerTopic:Energy IndustryPhoto shows A solar system on a roof with foliage in the foreground.'It was a mistake': UK residents regret shared home ownership as Australian scheme back in parliamentTopic:Housing PolicyPhoto shows A man with short brown hair wears a pink shirt while looking neutrally at the cameraAlbanese unlikely to detail emissions target before next electionTopic:Environmental PolicyPhoto shows Anthony Albanese wearing a dark suit and red spotted tiePopular nowWith Prince Andrew given a reprieve from an 'anonymous donor', William inherits his father's real estate woesTopic:RoyaltyPhoto shows Prince William leans down with an overgrown beard and his lips pursed.Australia struggling with oversupply of solar powerTopic:Energy IndustryPhoto shows A solar system on a roof with foliage in the foreground.After Jake Paul mocked Mike Tyson, he uttered four words that nobody wanted to hearSAnalysis by Simon SmalePhoto shows Mike Tyson sits with a towel around his neckRelated topicsCourts and TrialsMedia IndustryUnited StatesWorld PoliticsTop StoriesDaughters cling to hope Japan will acquit Perth mum who they say was victim of romance scamTopic:Courts and TrialsPhoto shows A photo on a table showing Donna Nelson with her arm around her eldest daughter Ash and another daughter off to the sideXi Jinping tells Biden China 'ready to work' with Trump administrationTopic:APEC Economic Leaders' MeetingsAustralia struggling with oversupply of solar powerTopic:Energy Industry'It was a mistake': UK residents regret shared home ownership as Australian scheme back in parliamentTopic:Housing PolicyAlbanese unlikely to detail emissions target before next electionTopic:Environmental PolicyJust InInvestigations underway into plane crash that killed 20yo pilot, two teenagers in VictoriaTopic:Air and Space Accidents and Incidents30m ago30 minutes agoSun 17 Nov 2024 at 5:49amAirbnb's plan to host 'gladiator' battles at Rome's Colosseum causes outrageTopic:Travel and Tourism (Lifestyle and Leisure)50m ago50 minutes agoSun 17 Nov 2024 at 5:29amFemale pedestrian dies after being hit by ute in Jerrabomberra Topic:Road Accidents and Incidents1h ago1 hours agoSun 17 Nov 2024 at 5:05amWhat is Bluesky, the fast-growing platform welcoming former X users?Topic:Internet Culture1h ago1 hours agoSun 17 Nov 2024 at 4:57amMore Just InBack to topFooterABC News homepageMore From ABC NEWSWe acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.SectionsABC NEWSJust InWatch LivePoliticsWorldBusinessAnalysisSportScienceHealthEntertainmentLifestyleFact CheckOtherNews in language中文Berita Bahasa IndonesiaTok PisinConnect with ABC NewsFacebookInstagramYouTubeApple NewsX (formerly Twitter)More from ABC NewsContact ABC NEWSThis service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)Editorial PoliciesAccessibilityHelpContact UsAbout the ABCPrivacy PolicyTerms of Use© 2024 ABC