After the Supreme Court refused Tuesday to hear Alex Jones’ appeal of a $1.4 billion libel judgment for comments about the Sandy Hook school shooting, the satirical news website The Onion could have another chance to buy the conspiracy theory website. The Onion previously tried to buy Infowars in November, but a judge ruled that an auction for the site was not conducted properly.
Jones had asked the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court’s order against him requiring him to pay families of victims of the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. Jones has repeatedly asserted that gun control advocates orchestrated the mass shooting as a “false flag” event. However, none of these claims were ever backed up by real evidence.
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In 2022, juries in both Texas and Connecticut found him liable for defamation and emotional distress over false statements about the massacre. Adam Lanza killed 20 first graders and six educators during the attack before killing himself.
What did the justices say?
The Supreme Court declined to hear Jones’ appeal without comment. The justices issued their decision without asking the Sandy Hook families to respond.
Jones filed for bankruptcy in late 2022 after the jury verdicts in Texas and Connecticut. At the time, his lawyers told the justices, the plaintiffs had “no possible hope of collecting.”
He is also appealing another judgment in Texas after he failed to turn over documents sought by the parents of another Sandy Hook victim. That lawsuit is seeking nearly $50 million from Jones.
Has The Onion commented on the recent ruling?
To cover some of the judgments against Jones, a federal judge ordered that a court-appointed receiver oversee Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems. That receiver would be responsible for selling the assets.
The Onion tried to buy Infowars in 2024, but the deal fell through when the bankruptcy judge declined to approve the results of an auction for the website. Following the decision, officials with the publication said they would continue to try to get a positive outcome for the Sandy Hook families.
“We are deeply disappointed in today’s decision, but The Onion will continue to seek a resolution that helps the Sandy Hook families receive a positive outcome,” Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion’s parent company, Global Tetrahedron, said earlier this year.
The Onion had planned to relaunch Jones’ show as a parody and had even lined up gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety as an exclusive advertiser.
The judge allowed The Onion to try again to purchase Infowars. Global Tetrahedron has not commented on further offers but has previously stated all options remained open as they pursued the sale.
