Right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay $4 million in damages to Sandy Hook parents
The well-known conspiracy theorist was ordered to pay the sum by the court jury, but there could be more payments to come.
The first jury verdicts have come in for the defamation case between the families of the Sandy Hook massacre victims and alt-right talking-head Alex Jones. He has been ordered to pay $4.1 million in damages to the families, making it the first case against him that the jury has agreed on financial damages.
The end of Jones’ woes are unlikely to be soon. Punitive damages are still to be determined as the $4.1 million payment reflects compensatory damages alone. Jones has previously claimed that any compensation payment more than $2 million “will sink us,” though it is unknown how much capital he owns or earns. InfoWars, where Jones made a name for himself, looks set to close after its parent company recently filed for bankruptcy.
“We aren’t done folks,” said lawyer Mark Banston, who represented the parents in the case, “We knew coming into this case it was necessary to shoot for the moon to get the jury to understand we were serious and passionate. After tomorrow, he’s going to owe a lot more.”
There is no conspiracy more outlandish, more unfathomably surreal, than the agonizing reality that Alex Jones was raking in 800K per day through InfoWars.
— Berny Belvedere (@bernybelvedere) August 3, 2022
What was he accused of doing?
Jones is being sued by the parents of the victims of the Sandy Hook Massacre over his comments that the event was a false flag operation and that their children were not killed and the families were paid actors. Despite apologising for the original comments, he may have landed himself in more hot water by potentially lying under oath.
In one astonishing moment from the court on Wednesday, Jones’ live reaction to being shown evidence of his perjury is recorded. His lawyer mistakenly sent Jones’ phone records to the plaintiffs.
The incredible moment where Alex Jones is informed that his own lawyer accidentally sent a digital copy of his entire phone to the Sandy Hook parents' lawyer, thereby proving that he perjured himself.
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) August 3, 2022
h/t @Acynpic.twitter.com/ve4iGbwLM8
Legal experts have also said that the type of perjury committed by Jones carries up to ten years in prison if convicted. It is unclear whether the chargers will be brought during this case or must be filed separately.