Alex Jones’ personal assets to be sold to pay $1.5B Sandy Hook debt. Company bankruptcy is dismissed

(15 Jun 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Houston, Texas - 14 June 2024
1. Alex Jones leaving the courthouse carrying a box
2 Mid of plaque outside the courthouse
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Juan Lozano, The Associated Press:
“A federal judge has ordered the liquidation of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones's personal assets. The judge has also dismissed his company's separate bankruptcy case. It's unclear what this means for the future of Jones's Infowars media platform. Jones also still owes $1.5 billion for making false statements that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax.
4. Mid of Alex Jones leaving the courthouse to the parking lot
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Juan Lozano, The Associated Press:
“Following an all-day hearing in federal court in Houston on Friday, Judge Christopher Lopez granted a request by Jones to convert his personal bankruptcy reorganization into liquidation. The proceeds from that liquidation will be used in part to help pay what he owes to the Sandy hook families.”
6. Mid of Alex Jones carrying a box leaving the courthouse to the parking lot.
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Juan Lozano, The Associated Press:
“Some of those families had also wanted the bankruptcy case of Jones's media company, Free Speech Systems, to also be converted into liquidation so its assets could be sold off as well. But the judge denied that request, saying that the families would be better off pursuing their claims in state courts.”
8. Exterior of the courthouse
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Juan Lozano, The Associated Press:
“After Friday's hearing, Jones told reporters that he planned to wind down his company. But leading up to the hearing, Jones had also said that he would fight any efforts to shut down his company or his broadcasts.”
10. Mid of Alex Jones at a crosswalk during a court break
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Juan Lozano, The Associated Press:
“Jones has been called the king of conspiracies and has been building his media empire for the past three decades. He started broadcasting on a public access television channel in Austin in the early 1990s. He later worked in talk radio before starting his Infowars website. At the height of his success, Jones's media company generated annual revenues of up to $80 million.”
12. Exteriors of Courthouse in downtown Houston
STORYLINE:
A federal judge on Friday ordered the liquidation of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones′ personal assets but dismissed his company’s separate bankruptcy case, leaving the immediate future of his Infowars media platform uncertain as he owes $1.5 billion for his false claims that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax.
Judge Christopher Lopez approved converting Jones’ proposed personal bankruptcy reorganization to a liquidation.
But Lopez threw out the case of his company, Austin, Texas-based Free Speech Systems, after failed attempts by Jones to reach an agreement with Sandy Hook families on his proposals to reorganize and keep operating the company while paying them millions of dollars.
It wasn’t immediately clear what will happen in the coming weeks to Free Speech Systems, Infowars’ parent company, whic Jones built into a multimillion-dollar moneymaker over the past 25 years by selling dietary supplements and other products.
But both Jones and lawyers for the Sandy Hook families said they expect Infowars to cease operating at some point because of the huge debt.
A trustee appointed Friday in Jones' personal bankruptcy case to oversee the liquidation now has control over his assets, including Infowars, according to lawyers for Sandy Hook families.
Find out more about AP Archive: www.aparchive.c...
Twitter: / ap_archive
Facebook: / aparchives ​​
Instagram: / apnews
You can license this story through AP Archive: www.aparchive.c...