The Onion’s Takeover of Alex Jones’ Infowars Frozen Until Hearing

The Onion’s offer to buy right-wing provocateur Alex Jones’ Infowars platform, as part of a liquidation to pay off his debts to the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims, is on hold until a bankruptcy judge can approve it.

Houston bankruptcy Judge Christopher M. Lopez at a hearing Monday rejected a request from Jones for an emergency temporary restraining order to stop a bankruptcy trustee or those from The Onion from taking over Infowars assets, saying it wasn’t necessary since he hasn’t entered an order allowing such a change.

Lopez said he’s ready to consider objections as early as next week from Jones, a losing bidder, or others who have concerns with the transparency of the auction or the structure of the winning bid. The decision will determine whether Jones can remain on air on the platform he’s been broadcasting on for roughly 25 years.

“The decisions I make are going to play out in front of me,” Lopez said.

The families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims teamed up with The Onion’s corporate parent, Global Tetrahedron LLC, to boost the value of a bid for Jones’ right-wing news platform. The families have about $1.5 billion in judgments against Jones and his Infowars parent company, Free Speech Systems LLC, due to false statements he made that the 2012 Connecticut school massacre was a hoax.

Reconsideration Rejected

Lopez also rejected a request by the Connecticut families to reconsider a decision he made last year that about $324 million in judgments against Jones, which are mostly attorney’s fees, would need require a new trial to determine whether they are dischargeable.

Bankruptcy trustee Christopher Murray is liquidating Jones’ estate in bankruptcy to help him pay down those judgments. This month the trustee picked The Onion’s bid, valued at more then $7 million, over that of First United American Cos. LLC, which bid $3.5 million but offered a larger cash component.

First United is associated with Jones’ friend and business associate, Charles Cicack, and aims to continue broadcasting Infowars using the disputed assets, the trustee has said in court papers.

The Onion would launch a new Infowars platform by January 2025 in conjunction with advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety by January 2025. Everytown for Gun Safety, which advocates gun-safety measures, is backed by Michael Bloomberg. Bloomberg Law is operated by entities controlled by Michael Bloomberg.

First United objected to the sale, while Jones has sued the Connecticut families over the sale.

Lopez last week also expressed concerns about the sale.

Before the hearing Monday, Elon Musk’s X Inc., formerly known as Twitter, also lodged a limited objection arguing that any Infowars-associated accounts on the platform can’t be transferred to third parties as part of its terms and conditions. That wasn’t addressed at Monday’s hearing but could be an issue during a sale hearing.

Jones is represented by Jordan & Ortiz PC and Broocks Law Firm PLLC. The Chapter 7 trustee is represented by Jones Murray LLP and Porter Hedges LLP. Global Tetrahedron is represented by Seward & Kissel LLP. The Sandy Hook families are represented by Cain & Skarnulis PLLC, Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder PC, and Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP. X Inc. is represented by Latham & Watkins LLP.

The case is Jones, Bankr. S.D. Tex., No. 22-33553, hearing 11/25/24.