By Brayden Yee
Radio host and known conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been ordered to pay $49.3 million in damages after claiming on multiple occasions that the 2012 Sandy Hook School Shooting was a hoax. A Texas jury found Jones guilty in the defamation trial, and ordered him to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages, and $4.1 million in compensatory damages.
The two-week trial was brought forth by the parents of a child who was killed in the attack. The plaintiffs stated that they had been harassed due to the misinformation of Jones, the founder of the conspiracy theory website Infowars, and sought $150 million in damages. Jones had alleged that the Sandy Hook Shooting was a hoax, and done by the government with the intention to strip gun rights from Americans, and that the parents of the victims were crisis actors.
The compensatory charges were meant to cover the cost of damages due to Jones’ misinformation, such as security in order to protect the family from an attack from one of Jones’ supporters. The additional $45.2 million in charges is meant to deter Jones from continuing the spread of lies about the Sandy Hook Shooting. An economist hired by the plaintiffs testified that Jones is worth up to $270 million. This case is the first of three being brought up against Jones by victims of the Sandy Hook Shooting.
During the trial, Jones was faced with many contradictions. It was revealed that his lawyer accidentally sent two years of potentially damaging text messages to prosecutor Mark Bankston. The messages contained texts that mentioned Sandy Hook, despite Jones stating in his testimony that he did not mention the shooting in any private conversations.
From the text messages, his claims about bankruptcy were also challenged. Earlier in 2022, Jones’ company filed for bankruptcy. However, Bankston provided text messages that stated that in 2018, Jones and his companies were making a net profit of $800,000 a day. Jones also had several disputes with the judge, Maya Gamble. At one point in the trial, Gamble told Jones that he must tell the truth while testifying, stating, “This is not your show.” On another instance, Jones was confronted when Bankston asked if he had ever shown Judge Gamble on fire on his show, when Jones denied the claim, Bankston pulled up a photo of Jones’ show which depicted Gamble on fire next to Lady Liberty.
Since the verdict, Jones has taken to social media, stating that the case was rigged against him, and that the members of the jury “don’t know what planet they’re on”. Additionally, he stated that his net worth was nowhere near the amount presented in court, again stating that the trial was rigged against him. This case however, is unlikely to keep Jones from spreading misinformation. While many social media platforms have permanently suspended Jones, his reach is still quite large. His website alone, which sells merchandise, “performance-enhancing supplements”, and survival gear made over $165 million from 2015-2018 alone, indicating that he is still financially well off. Along with that, Jones is commonly invited to multiple podcasts and YouTube shows, where many Americans view him and his takes.
In a verdict that many consider to be overdue, Jones has finally been held accountable for what he has said. There is no doubt that the victims of the Sandy Hook Shooting are relieved by the outcome of the trial; however, this may not be the end to Jones’ spread of conspiracy theories and lies about the Sandy Hook Shooting.
Comments