Satire news site The Onion buys Alex Jones’ Infowars at auction with help from Sandy Hook families

The satirical website The Onion bought InfoWars on Thursday, capping years of lawsuits and bankruptcy proceedings following InfoWars founder Alex Jones’ defamation of families linked to the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.

Those families supported The Onion’s bid to buy InfoWars’ intellectual property, including its website, customer lists and inventory, certain social media accounts and the production equipment used to put Jones on the air.

The Connecticut families agreed to forgo a portion of their recovery to increase the overall value of The Onion’s bid, which would enable its success.

The sales price was not immediately disclosed.

The families said the purchase would put an end to Jones’ disinformation campaign.

“We were told this outcome would be virtually impossible, but we are no strangers to impossible battles. The world needs to understand that having a platform does not mean you are above responsibility – the dissolution of Alex Jones’ assets and the death of Infowars is the justice we have long waited and fought for,” says Robbie Parker, whose daughter Emilie was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting.

In 2022, the families who brought the case against Jones in Connecticut secured a $1.4 billion verdict in their defamation lawsuit. A Texas bankruptcy court ruled in June this year on the liquidation of Jones’ assets, handing control to an independent trustee tasked with selling them to generate the greatest possible value for the families.

“From day one, these families have fought against all odds to bring real accountability to Alex Jones and his corrupt company. Our clients knew that real accountability meant an end to Infowars and an end to Jones’ ability to spread lies, pain and fear. After surviving an unimaginable loss with courage and integrity, they rejected Jones’ empty offers for supposedly more money if they would just let him stay on the air because it would have put other families at risk,” said Chris Mattei, attorney of the police. the Connecticut plaintiffs and partner at Koskoff Koskoff & Bidder.

Jones confirmed The Onion’s acquisition of Infowars in a video on social media on Thursday and said he planned to take legal action to stop the takeover.

“The final broadcast is now live from the Infowars studios. They are in the building. They are ordering the shutdown without court approval,” Jones said on the social platform X.

Broadcasting live from the Infowars studio on Thursday morning, Jones appeared distraught as he rested his head in his hand at his desk.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Stay with us for the latest details on this developing story.