Alex Jones is a far-right radio show host and conspiracy theorist. He has been sued for defamation multiple times, most notably by the families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Jones has claimed that the shooting was a false flag operation and that no one died. In 2022, a jury ordered Jones to pay nearly $50 million to the parents of one of the slain children. In the same year, Jones filed for bankruptcy.
What You'll Learn
Alex Jones' portrayal of the Sandy Hook shooting as a hoax
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been at the centre of multiple lawsuits filed by the families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Jones has been accused of spreading lies about the shooting, claiming that it was a "hoax" involving "crisis actors" and that it was staged to increase gun control.
Jones has built a career on conspiracy theories, alleging that the US government either concealed information about or falsified several tragic events, including the Oklahoma City bombing, the September 11 attacks, and the 1969 Moon landing. He has also claimed that governments and large businesses have colluded to create a "New World Order".
In 2022, Jones was sued for defamation by Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, the parents of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, who was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting. Heslin and Lewis sought at least $150 million in damages for the emotional distress and reputational damage caused by Jones' false statements. They were joined by the families of seven other Sandy Hook victims and an FBI agent who responded to the school, all suing Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, in multiple courts.
Courts in Texas and Connecticut found Jones liable for defamation and issued default judgments against him for failing to respond to court orders and turn over documents. In October 2022, a Texas jury ordered Jones to pay nearly $50 million in damages to the parents of one of the slain children.
Jones now acknowledges that the Sandy Hook shooting took place but maintains that he is not responsible for the suffering caused by his hoax conspiracy claims, including death threats and harassment by his followers. He continues to insist that his comments were protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.
However, the lawsuits against Jones have continued, with a trial beginning in Connecticut in September 2022 to determine how much Jones should pay the families in damages. During the trial, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, Christopher Mattei, portrayed Jones as a "bully" who preyed on helpless people. In contrast, Jones' attorney, Norm Pattis, argued that Jones was merely a "crank on the village green" exercising his constitutional right to free speech.
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Jones' subsequent defamation lawsuits
Alex Jones, the founder of InfoWars and Banned.Video, has been involved in several defamation lawsuits. These lawsuits have been filed by the families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, as well as an FBI agent and a man who was falsely accused of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Jones has repeatedly spread conspiracy theories about these tragic events, including claims that they were "staged", "synthetic", and a "giant hoax". As a result of Jones' false statements, the plaintiffs have allegedly faced harassment, death threats, and invasive surveillance.
In August 2021, a district judge in Texas issued default judgments against Jones, citing his failure to comply with court orders to hand over documents and evidence. This meant that the lawsuits could proceed to trial to determine the amount of damages. Subsequently, in October 2022, a jury in Texas ordered Jones to pay nearly $50 million to the parents of one of the slain children in the Sandy Hook shooting.
In September 2023, Owen Shroyer, an Infowars co-host who accompanied Jones to the Capitol on January 6, 2021, was sentenced to 30 days in prison for violating a stay-away order from the Capitol grounds.
In October 2022, a jury in Connecticut ordered Jones to pay nearly $1 billion in damages to the families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims. This amount included punitive damages and lawyers' fees, bringing the total amount owed by Jones to over $1.4 billion.
Jones has portrayed himself as a victim of unfair show trials and has vowed to continue speaking his truth. He has also claimed that he won't have to pay the damages in full and has indicated his intention to appeal the judgments. However, his efforts to evade accountability have been hampered by legal and financial challenges.
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Jones' conspiracy theories
Alexander Emerick Jones is a prominent American conspiracy theorist and radio show host. He founded InfoWars and Banned.Video, two websites that promote conspiracy theories and fake news.
Jones has claimed that the United States government concealed information about or falsified several tragic events, including the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the Oklahoma City bombing, the September 11 attacks, and the 1969 Moon landing. He has also alleged that governments and large businesses colluded to create a globalist "New World Order" through "manufactured economic crises, sophisticated surveillance tech, and inside-job terror attacks".
Jones has also claimed that the government uses "weather weapons" to control the weather and that they are putting chemicals in water supplies to turn people gay. He has also spread conspiracy theories about the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, claiming that it was a "false flag" operation and that "no one died". These lies led to him being sued for defamation by the families of Sandy Hook victims, who said they had been threatened and harassed for years because of his false claims.
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Jones' views on free speech
Alex Jones is a far-right radio show host and conspiracy theorist. He is the founder of InfoWars and Banned.Video, websites that promote conspiracy theories and fake news. Jones has been banned from several social media platforms for violating hate-speech policies. He has also been sued for defamation by the families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, who he claimed were crisis actors.
Jones has described himself as a conservative, paleoconservative, and libertarian. He is a vocal gun rights advocate and has claimed that several governments and large businesses have colluded to create a globalist "New World Order" through "manufactured economic crises, sophisticated surveillance tech and—above all—inside-job terror attacks that fuel exploitable hysteria".
Jones has a history of inflammatory and anti-LGBTQ speech. He has also made several false claims about the COVID-19 pandemic, including that colloidal silver toothpaste was an effective treatment. He has also promoted dietary supplements and "brain pills" on his show, which hold "an appeal for anyone who believes Armageddon is near", according to Veit Medick of Der Spiegel.
Jones has faced significant backlash and legal consequences for his actions, including being sued for defamation and ordered to pay damages to the families of Sandy Hook victims. He has also been banned from various social media platforms and faced criticism for his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Despite the backlash and legal consequences, Jones continues to promote conspiracy theories and false claims, and his views on free speech remain unwavering. He portrays himself as a victim of unfair censorship and has a large audience that supports his right to free speech.
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Jones' Infowars show
The Jones Infowars show is a far-right online news and politics talk show hosted by prominent conspiracy theorist, Alex Jones. Jones has used the show to spread conspiracy theories about several events, including the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the Oklahoma City bombing, the September 11 attacks, and the 1969 Moon landing. He has also used the show to promote white nationalist and neo-Nazi ideologies.
Jones has been sued for defamation by the families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, who claim that they have faced harassment and death threats as a result of Jones' false claims that the shooting was a hoax. In one such trial, Jones was portrayed by the plaintiffs' lawyer as a "bully" and by his own attorney as a crank in a town square. Jones was ordered to pay nearly $50 million to the parents of one of the slain children.
Jones has also faced backlash for his views and has been banned from several social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Spotify, and Twitter. Despite this, Jones continues to have a significant online presence and has a large audience for his show.
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Frequently asked questions
Alex Jones has been sued for defamation by the families of Sandy Hook victims, who claim that Jones' conspiracy theories about the shooting led to them being threatened and harassed. Jones has also been sued for spreading false claims about the Chobani yogurt company and the Comet Ping Pong pizzeria.
The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting took place on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut. 26 children and teachers were shot to death.
Jones has alleged that the United States government either concealed information about or outright falsified the shooting. He has also claimed that several governments and large businesses colluded to create a globalist "New World Order" through "manufactured economic crises, sophisticated surveillance tech and—above all—inside-job terror attacks that fuel exploitable hysteria".
In October 2022, juries in Connecticut and Texas awarded a total of $1.487 billion in damages from Jones to a first responder and families of victims. On December 2, 2022, Jones filed for personal bankruptcy.
In both cases, Jones issued an apology and retraction of his allegations.