Judge Rejects Infowars Sale to The Onion, Prolonging Legal Disputes
Dec/11/2024
On Tuesday, December 10, a federal bankruptcy judge in Houston blocked the sale of Infowars, the conspiracy website founded by Alex Jones, to the satirical publication The Onion, citing flaws in the auction process. Judge Christopher M. Lopez ruled that the sealed-bid auction did not maximize the value of Infowars for creditors, including the Sandy Hook families, who had previously won a $1.4 billion defamation judgment against Jones. The Onion’s $7 million bid, supported partially by the families’ judgment funds, was deemed inferior to a $3.5 million cash bid by an entity linked to Jones, sparking debate over transparency and fairness in the bidding process. The Onion, which planned to transform Infowars into a satire platform, expressed disappointment but vowed to continue its pursuit, while Jones celebrated the decision, accusing his opponents of collusion. The court-appointed trustee must now propose an alternative resolution, leaving Infowars’ future in uncertainty amid a high-profile legal battle fraught with tension and controversy. The visualization below shows all U.S. trademarks registered under Free Speech Systems.
