The sale of infowars.com, the controversial website owned by right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, to the satirical news outlet The Onion has been halted by a US bankruptcy judge. Following a two-day court hearing, Judge Christopher Lopez concluded that the auction for Infowars did not yield the best offers, discouraging competition between bidders.
Interestingly, The Onion's bid was backed by families affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, who earlier won a $1.5 billion defamation case against Jones for his inaccurate claims about the shooting. In contrast, Jones argued that the auction process suffered from "collusion," a claim dismissed by the judge.
Lopez emphasized the bankruptcy trustee's mistake in not reopening the auction to encourage more competitive offers. “This should have been opened back up for everybody,” he stated. Although disappointed by the judgment, The Onion's parent company, Global Tetrahedron, remains committed to acquiring the site.
Meanwhile, Jones, who gained notoriety for spreading conspiracy theories, celebrated the ruling, deeming the auction process “fraudulent.” Financial troubles for Jones stem from his deceptive narratives regarding the Sandy Hook massacre that killed 26 people. After repeatedly casting doubts on the tragedy, he later admitted it occurred, citing free speech protections.
In 2022, he declared bankruptcy, and a judge began instructing the liquidation of his assets, which include a multi-million dollar ranch and luxury items, totaling approximately $8.6 million. The case continues to attract widespread attention amid ongoing legal and social ramifications.
