US Court Orders Conspiracy Theorist Behind 'Gun Massacre Hoax' to Sell Assets and Pay 2 Trillion Won Compensation

A U.S. federal court has ordered far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who falsely claimed that a mass shooting was staged, to sell his personal assets to pay damages amounting to 2 trillion won.

According to reports from the Associated Press and others on the 14th (local time), U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez ordered Jones to sell his assets, including ownership of Free Speech Systems, the parent company of the fake news website 'InfoWars' operated by Jones.

Far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones
[Photo by AP]

Jones was ordered to pay damages totaling $1.5 billion (approximately 2 trillion won) in 2022 for falsely claiming that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was staged.

The Sandy Hook tragedy occurred on December 14, 2012, when a 20-year-old gunman stormed into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, shooting and killing 20 children and 6 teachers before taking his own life. Jones, who runs the far-right fake news site InfoWars, spread conspiracy theories claiming that the incident was fabricated by the Obama administration, which sought gun control, and the media.

During the defamation lawsuit filed by the victims' families, Jones changed his stance, admitting that the Sandy Hook shooting was a real event, but he continued to spread conspiracy theories multiple times afterward. After the court ruling ordering him to pay damages, Jones filed for personal bankruptcy protection to avoid paying the damages.

However, failing to reach an agreement with the families over the amount of damages and the operation of InfoWars, Jones last week withdrew his bankruptcy protection application and requested the court to switch to asset liquidation.

With the court accepting Jones's request on this day, most of his assets, excluding some properties such as his residence, are expected to be sold to cover the damages. Previously, Jones sold a Texas ranch worth $2.8 million (about 380 million won) and a firearms collection to pay the damages.

The AP reported that according to recent court documents, Jones's personal assets amount to about $9 million (approximately 1.25 billion won). However, the court dismissed the corporate bankruptcy filing of Free Speech Systems without ordering its sale. Therefore, InfoWars, which Jones has used to spread conspiracy theories, can continue operating for the time being.

Opinions among the creditors, the Sandy Hook families, are divided regarding the sale of Free Speech Systems. The families who sued Jones in Connecticut courts argue that the company should be forcibly sold and operations halted to prevent Jones from using it as a means to hide his assets.

On the other hand, other families who pursued litigation in Texas courts believe that if Jones continues to operate Free Speech Systems as a revenue-generating tool rather than forcing a low-priced sale, they can receive damages more quickly. Free Speech Systems generated sales of $3.2 million (440 million won) in April by selling food, clothing, and other items.

The AP noted that with differing opinions among the families and Jones signaling legal battles over company ownership, the future operation of InfoWars remains uncertain.

Meanwhile, as the U.S. presidential election approaches in November, gun issues are resurfacing as a key topic. On this day, the conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court sparked backlash by overturning the ban on 'bump stocks,' devices that convert semi-automatic rifles into automatic continuous-fire weapons.