Companies owned by far-right radio host Alex Jones filed for bankruptcy after being hit by a flurry of lawsuits.
Three entities, including his website Infowars, sought Chapter 11 protection in Southern Texas, each with estimated liabilities of as much as $10 million, according to court filings. Chapter 11 filings allow a business to keep operating while working on a turnaround plan, and pause pending civil litigation.
Jones and his companies last year were found liable in a defamation lawsuit brought by relatives of children killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre after Jones called the shootings a hoax. A trial in Connecticut to determine the size of the damages has yet to take place. He was also found liable in similar proceedings in Texas.
Lawyers representing Jones and his businesses have said the defamation lawsuit was strategically filed to silence their free speech on matters of public interest, according to court filings.
Judges in Connecticut and Texas issued default judgments against Jones after he failed to turn over documents including financial information. Pattis & Smith said the plaintiffs’ probe into the financial ties between Jones and his various entities is akin to a “collections action” and a “fishing expedition.”
In March, lawyers representing relatives of Sandy Hook shooting victims sought an arrest order for Jones after he skipped a court-ordered deposition, citing health reasons. Jones appeared for the deposition after facing hefty fines.
The cases are InfoW LLC 22-60020, IWHealth LLC 22-60021, Prison Planet TV LLC 22-60022. U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Texas.
— With assistance by Max Zimmerman
