Harassing Bereaved Families with Fake News... Jones "Will Appeal"
Large Damages Awarded, but Actual Payment Uncertain
[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] A court has ordered Alex Jones, who has claimed that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting?the worst gun massacre in the United States?was fabricated, to pay a staggering $965 million (1.38 trillion KRW) in damages.
According to the AP on the 12th, a Connecticut state court jury reached this verdict in a defamation lawsuit filed by 15 plaintiffs, including the families of the Sandy Hook victims and FBI investigators, against Jones.
Jones was previously found liable in a lawsuit filed in Texas and was ordered by an Austin court jury in August to pay $45.2 million (approximately 58.6 billion KRW) in punitive damages.
The Sandy Hook tragedy occurred on December 14, 2012, when a 20-year-old gunman stormed Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, killing 20 children and 6 teachers before taking his own life.
Jones, who runs the fake news site Infowars, has spread conspiracy theories claiming that the incident was fabricated by the Obama administration, which sought gun control, and mainstream media.
Jones, who did not appear in court that day, expressed his intention to appeal via a live broadcast on the Infowars site, claiming, "It’s all fabricated, this is a trial for manipulating public opinion, this is a completely out-of-control left-wing."
Meanwhile, the bereaved families, who have long suffered from Jones’s conspiracy theories, welcomed the jury’s decision.
Jones’s followers have shown shameless behavior, including visiting the families’ homes to force them to "reveal the truth" and issuing death threats.
Mark Barden, who lost his 7-year-old son in the Sandy Hook tragedy, witnessed the shocking scene of conspiracy theorists urinating on his son’s grave. Erica Lafferty, daughter of the Sandy Hook Elementary principal who died protecting her students, also received letters containing sexual assault threats.
Lafferty said, "From today, I hope to be a daughter who can simply mourn her mother without worrying about conspiracy theorists."
Relatives weeping uncontrollably upon hearing news related to the Sandy Hook tragedy Photo by AP Yonhap News
Although a huge damages award has been issued, it is still unclear how much Jones can actually pay.
Jones claimed in the Texas lawsuit in August that he is unable to pay more than $2 million, about 2.85 billion KRW.
However, an economic expert who testified at the time estimated that the value of Jones’s assets could range from $135 million to $270 million (approximately 190 billion to 385 billion KRW).
During the trial, it was also revealed that Infowars generated $165 million (about 235 billion KRW) in revenue between 2016 and 2018 alone.
The families criticized Jones for spreading lies about the Sandy Hook tragedy to increase traffic to Infowars and make huge profits by selling health supplements and related products.
Josh Koskoff, who represented the families, said, "Jones has tried to profit by exploiting grieving people," adding, "This kind of business model should not be allowed in the United States."
The AP reported that this lawsuit against Jones is not the last, and that a ruling related to a separate lawsuit filed by other families who lost children in the Sandy Hook tragedy in a Texas court is expected by the end of this year.
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