Jones has been ordered to pay about $1.5 billion to the families of Sandy Hook victims.
HARTFORD, Conn. — Alex Jones, the controversial host of Infowars, filed for bankruptcy protection Friday.
He claims he’s out of money and owes creditors millions, but he’s chauffeured around by private bodyguards in big new expensive vehicles, still selling his supplements, asking his fans to donate to his legal defense fund and encouraging them to give him cryptocurrency.
“All those people who are giving him money, they are working for the plaintiffs. They’re not working for him,” said Jim Bergenn, an Attorney for Shipman & Goodwin. Prior to personal bankruptcy filing, his company, Free Speech Systems, also filed for bankruptcy in April. “For the rest of his life he can never accumulate wealth,” said Bergenn.
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In total, Jones has been ordered to pay about $1.5-billion to Sandy Hook families after being found liable for defamation for claiming the school massacre was a hoax and the victim’s families were actors. “All they want is some billion-dollar number. This is ridiculous. I don’t have two million dollars,” said Jones of his Infowars show.
And while Jones may claim he has no money, he’s accused of divesting it to other companies, family and friends.
“That would be considered a fraudulent transfer,” said Bergenn, who says Jones’s actions will only delay the inevitable. “He’s going to be scrutinized. Oh, I’ll just have my wife do it or my best friend. They get through all that. So he’s done.”
Attorney Chris Mattei, the lead lawyer representing Sandy Hook families, sent FOX61 a statement that read in part: “Like every other cowardly move Alex Jones has made, this bankruptcy will not work. The bankruptcy system does not protect anyone who engages in intentional and egregious attacks on others, as Mr. Jones did.”
Jones took the stand once during a six-week trial in Waterbury where he flouted the judicial system. “He’s so intoxicated by all this money he’s made. I don’t think he realizes that in America you can’t just brutally do whatever you want to do,” said Bergenn.
FOX61 did reach out to Norm Pattis, Alex Jones’ Attorney, but we did not hear back.
On his Infowars show Friday, Jones read a statement, in which he said he is committed to a “good faith effort to reach amicable conclusions with my creditors.”
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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