Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones MUST still pay $1 billion in damages to Sandy Hook families – and can’t hide behind his bankruptcy protection, judge rules
- Jones, 49, was ordered to pay $1.5 billion to families of victims of the Sandy Hook mass shooting after he called the tragedy a hoax
- He filed for bankruptcy in December last year despite personal net worth of $14 million and lavish spending on cars, boats and fancy meals out
- Texas Judge Christopher Lopez ruled on Thursday he cannot use bankruptcy as an excuse not to pay
Infowars host Alex Jones will still need to pay more than $1 billion to families who sued over his conspiracy theories that the Sandy Hook school massacre was a hoax.
Texas Judge Christopher Lopez issued the decision on Thursday and ruled that he can’t use his bankruptcy as protection.
Jones, 49, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December last year and more recent financial documents submitted by his attorneys put his personal net worth around $14 million.
But Lopez ruled that those protections do not apply over findings of ‘willful and malicious’ conduct.
A Texas judge ruled that Infowars host Alex Jones cannot hide behind his bankruptcy and must still pay more than $1.1 billion to the families of victims of the Sandy Hook massacre who he defamed on his show
Jones was ordered to pay damages to families of the 26 victims of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut after he promoted conspiracy theories about the tragedy on his Infowars show
‘The families are pleased with the Court´s ruling that Jones´s malicious conduct will find no safe harbor in the bankruptcy court,’ said Christopher Mattei, a Connecticut lawyer for the families.
Judge Christopher Lopez issued the decision on Thursday
‘As a result, Jones will continue to be accountable for his actions into the future regardless of his claimed bankruptcy.’
On his Infowars website, Jones posted a video saying the judge’s ruling will have little practical effect because he is over $1 million in debt personally and has little to pay the Sandy Hook families. He also said he continues to appeal the verdicts.
‘It’s all academic. I don’t have a million dollars,’ he said. ‘My company has a few million, but that´s just to pay the bills and my product in the future. So we are literally on empty.
‘So this idea that we’re going to take your money away doesn’t exist because the money doesn’t exist. It’s all political.
‘At the end of the day, they won´t take my free speech away,’ he said. ‘I´m still going to be on the air one way or another.’
Jones was ordered to pay damages after he promoted a conspiracy theory that the massacre of 26 women and children at at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012, never took place.
Relatives of the victims testified at the trials about being harassed and threatened by Jones´ believers, who sent threats and even confronted the grieving families in person, accusing them of being ‘crisis actors’ whose children never existed.
Jones’ personal spending has angered families who have yet to see any of the money they were awarded. The conspiracy theorist blew through $2.2 million in just eight months according to bankruptcy filings
Jones lists a $70k Dodge Charger and a $60k Chevy Tahoe on his assets in bankruptcy filings
Sandy Hook families won nearly the $1.5 billion in judgments against Jones last year in lawsuits over repeated promotion of the false theory.
But the families are yet to see a penny of the money that juries awarded them.
Meanwhile Jones’ personal spending topped $93,000 in July alone, including thousands of dollars on meals and entertainment, according to his monthly financial reports in the bankruptcy case.
Court documents seen by DailyMail.com also revealed he blew through $2.2 million in just eight months.
The money has been spent on lavish purchases including four cars worth $219,690 and two boats worth $114,300.
He racked up a massive bill of $26,884 on meals and entertainment between December and July.
The podcast host also lists his other assets as his $2.6million Austin home, despite transferring the deed into his wife’s name in February, and a $1.7million lake house property around 20 miles from his home.
He also owns a $2.1million ranch property and a $505k rental property, according to filings in Houston’s bankruptcy court.
The conspiracy theorist and Infowars host (left) pictured his wife, Erika Wulff Jones (right), could owe even more in damages pending the outcome of a lawsuit brought by the parents of 6-year-old Sandy Hook victim Noah Pozner
The 20 children who were killed in the Sandy Hook mass shooting. Top row (L to R): Ana Marquez-Greene, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Emilie Parker, Noah Pozner. Second row: (L to R): Jesse Lewis, Olivia Engel, Josephine Gay, Charlotte Bacon, Chase Kowalski. Third row (L to R): Daniel Barden, Jack Pinto, Catherine Hubbard, Dylan Hockley, Benjamin Wheeler. Bottom row (L to R): Grace McDonnell, James Mattioli, Avielle Richman, Madeleine Hsu, Allison Wyatt
The adult victims of the Sandy Hook shooting included (L to R): Teacher Rachel Davino, 29, para professional Anne Marie Murphy, 52, and permanent substitute teacher Lauren Rousseau, 30
The other three adult victims of the Sandy Hook shooting were (L to R): Teacher Victoria Soto, 27, school psychiatrist Mary Sherlach, 56, and principal Dawn Hochsprung, 47
Jones has forked out more than $1.5 million on legal and professional fees and has been urging his fans to donate to him and shop on the Infowars website so he can keep doing his program and pay his legal costs.
The amount of money Jones owes Sandy Hook families could grow even larger.
Another lawsuit is pending in Texas, brought by the parents of 6-year-old Noah Pozner, one of the children slain in the attack. A trial date has not yet been set.
An attorney for Jones did not immediately return a message seeking comment Friday.
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