Austin-based Infowars will not be acquired by The Onion for the time being, following a successful last-minute appeal by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. This delay means his controversial platform will remain in his hands until a hearing scheduled for next month.
Jones’ legal team managed to preserve the status quo of Infowars, which was set to be revamped by The Onion with the intention of directing profits to the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary victims whom Jones had defamed. In 2022, he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in damages and subsequently filed for bankruptcy.
Mark Bankston, the attorney representing the families in the Texas case, criticized Jones’ successful appeal as part of a troubling pattern, noting that he has consistently evaded financial responsibility for years. “There’s nothing about this that sets the train off the track. It’s just somebody pulled the brake for a minute,” Bankston stated, expressing his frustration with the ongoing situation.
The Texas 3rd Court of Criminal Appeals ruled in favor of Jones on Wednesday, returning the case to the trial court. Travis County Judge Maya Guerra Gamble has scheduled a hearing to address these issues on May 28.
In the meantime, Jones has declared a potential end to his Infowars broadcasts, indicating his plan to rebrand the platform as the Alex Jones Network while continuing his show. He expressed gratitude for his adversaries, stating, “I thank my enemies for their persecution because that which does not kill me only makes me stronger. And I like to fight.”
Following a hearing on Thursday, Bankston commented on Jones’ rebranding efforts, suggesting that the upcoming hearing could finally bring closure to this ongoing saga and secure restitution for the families affected by the Sandy Hook tragedy. “As far as the world is concerned, Infowars is dead. I think everybody knows that,” he remarked. “He’s trying to keep a bloated corpse of a media organization alive in these last little bits, but it’s, it’s all a joke. Everybody knows where we’re going.”
