The attempted acquisition of Infowars by The Onion faced a significant setback on Wednesday, following the rejection of their auction bid, which had some backing from the families affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. This outcome leaves Alex Jones’ conspiracy-laden platform under his control for the immediate future, casting uncertainty on the ongoing legal actions taken by the Sandy Hook families to hold him accountable for his claims that the tragic event was a hoax.
With a federal judge in Houston dismissing The Onion’s successful bid late Tuesday, the direction of Infowars and the efforts of the Sandy Hook families remain ambiguous. The only other bidder involved was a company linked to Jones himself. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez expressed his reluctance to conduct another auction but did not outline a clear strategy for moving forward. One suggestion includes allowing the Sandy Hook families, who are primarily Jones’ creditors, to revisit state courts in Connecticut and Texas in pursuit of the nearly $1.5 billion in damages awarded to them for defamation and emotional distress.
Christopher Mattei, an attorney representing the families, expressed hope that the conclusion of this process would result in all of Alex Jones’ assets, including Infowars, being directed towards the families. “Our aspiration is that by the time this process concludes—ideally soon—Alex Jones is stripped of ownership and control of the platform he has misused to inflict harm,” he stated on Wednesday.
The families are now preparing to observe the twelfth anniversary of the shooting that took place on December 14.
Why did The Onion’s bid fail?
The Infowars sale is part of Jones’ ongoing bankruptcy proceedings, which he initiated in late 2022 following a court mandate to pay $1.5 billion. Jones faced lawsuits after he insisted during his broadcasts that the 2012 shooting, which resulted in the deaths of 20 children and six staff members, was staged by actors for a gun control agenda. He has since acknowledged that the incident was indeed real.
Judge Lopez cited a lack of clarity surrounding the bidding process and raised concerns that the proposed bid from The Onion was too low. The Onion’s parent company, Global Tetrahedron, had submitted a cash offer of $1.75 million and proposed a plan to remove Jones from the platform, relaunching Infowars as a parody format by January. Their bid included an arrangement with several Sandy Hook families to allocate a portion of their auction collection toward other creditors.
In contrast, the other bidder, First United American Companies, operates a business associated with Jones that markets nutritional products. They offered $3.5 million while intending to allow Jones to maintain his presence on the Infowars platform. The company later made allegations of fraud and collusion in the bidding process, which Judge Lopez ultimately dismissed.
Navigator Christopher Murray, who oversaw the auction, opted for The Onion’s proposal, believing it would yield greater financial benefits to Jones’ other creditors.
What is the next step?
Judge Lopez has instructed Murray to devise a new approach to advance the proceedings. However, representatives from The Onion and Murray had not provided immediate comments following the decision. The judge indicated that a trial to resolve Jones’ bankruptcy might take place in 2025, and mentioned that Murray could explore selling the equity stake in Infowars’ parent company.
Within a month, Lopez requested further feedback from Murray and others involved in the bankruptcy concerning their plans. On the social media platform X, Jones dubbed the judge’s ruling a “Major Victory For Freedom Of The Press & Due Process.”
Jeff Anapolsky, a law professor at the University of Houston and managing director of a financial consulting firm, was not surprised by the rejection of the bid. Although not directly engaged in this case, he has previously appeared before Judge Lopez and characterized him as a fair arbiter. Anapolsky remains optimistic that a sale of Infowars’ assets will eventually occur and gain approval.
“It is now up to Mr. Murray, the trustee, to ensure that the process is transparent and that everyone involved feels their opinions have been considered,” Anapolsky commented.
Families commemorate the anniversary of the Sandy Hook tragedy
The ruling occurred in a poignant week for the families of Sandy Hook victims. As they mark the twelfth anniversary of the massacre on Saturday, some relatives journeyed to Washington, D.C., to participate in an annual vigil focused on gun violence. Typically, they prefer to observe the anniversary quietly, away from public attention.
Many family members have expressed that litigation against Jones revived their immeasurable grief over their losses while also subjecting them to harassment and intimidation from adherents of the conspiracy theory he propagated. They have recounted experiences of being confronted publicly by believers of the hoax and have received numerous threats, including death and rape threats.
Despite winning their cases, the families have not received any financial compensation from Jones to date.
