Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has filed for a restraining order attempting to block the sale of his Infowars media platform after The Onion, backed by families of Sandy Hook Elementary victims won the bidding for Jones’ company bankruptcy auction.
According to the Austin American-Statesman, attorneys for Jones filed for a restraining order and a temporary injunction on the sale of Free Speech Systems and Infowars, arguing The Onion and the families used a “flagrantly non-compliant Frankenstein bid” to win the auction for his media platform.
Jones filed for bankruptcy after he was found guilty in Texas and Connecticut for defamation after using his platform to spread conspiracy theories that the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax and that the families of the victims were paid actors. He owes the families $1.5 billion in damages.
The auction, aimed to help Jones pay the families, attracted only two bidders. The Onion’s parent company, Global Tetrahedron LLC, outbid First United American Companies LLC, a group tied to Jones’ ShopAlexJones.com website.
Global Tetrahedron’s bid included $1.75 million in cash and a revenue-sharing plan, waiving potential proceeds to prioritize Jones’ unsecured creditors. This bid was valued at over $7 million when factoring in potential future revenue. Meanwhile, First United American Companies’ $3.5 million cash offer lacked similar revenue-sharing provisions.
Jones’ lawsuit alleges that First United American Companies’ bid was higher than Global Tetrahedron’s.
Bankruptcy Trustee Christopher Murray asked a judge for an expedited approval of the sale in a separate filling. He wrote that Jones’ attempts to disqualify the sale were a “disappointed bidder’s improper attempt to influence an otherwise fair and open auction process.”
Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion posted on X that they had won the bid, but Jones’ was attempting to block the process.
“Long and short of it: We won the bid and — you’re not going to believe it — the previous Infowars folks aren’t taking it well,” he wrote.
Jones’ assets, including Infowars’ brand, video archives, social media accounts, and studio equipment, are being liquidated to settle damages awarded to the Sandy Hook families.
The next court hearing is scheduled for the coming week to address the competing motions and finalize the sale
