The Onion Should Be Awarded Its Bid to Buy Alex Jones’ Media Assets  

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez rejected an auction bid by Global Tetrahedron, the parent company of the parody website “The Onion” to purchase Alex Jones’ media enterprise, including the infamous website Infowars. The bankruptcy judge stated that Global Tetrahedron had not submitted the best bid and was thus incorrectly named the winner of an auction last month.  

Jones’ assets are being sold in bankruptcy to pay for the $1.2 billion judgment he owes to the families of the Sandy Hook shooting. Jones was found liable for falsely and repeatedly telling listeners that the shooting was a hoax. The families successfully sued him for defamation and other claims.  

The auction was overseen by a court-appointed trustee. The auction process consisted of a solicitation for sealed, written bids. The trustee initially considered a live auction but decided against it. He testified that after he determined Global Tetrahedron’s bid to be higher, he worked with the company and its lawyers to iron out details about the creditors waiving their share of the proceeds. 

However, Judge Lopez that the trustee had acted in good faith in running the action, though he did not believe that the trustee had no run a transparent process and should have given a rival bidder associated with Jones another chance to improve its bid.  

The Onion bid consisted of two components: $1.75 million in cash as well as a noncash pledge by the families of the Sandy Hook shooting to forgo the proceeds they would typically receive from the sale. Some of the families partnered with The Onion in its bid. The trustee stated he valued the bid at $7 million in all. 

Infowars Should Be Dismantled Through the Bankruptcy Process

The $1.2 billion judgment against Jones includes over $4.5 million in punitive damages. Although most civil lawsuits are only meant to compensate the plaintiffs, punitive damages serve to punish a defendant for egregious behavior. There is no doubt that Jones is deserving of punitive damages. He has openly defied and mocked the judicial system while the lawsuits were ongoing, including failing to turn over requested evidence, acting in bad faith to delay trial, ignoring or disregarding numerous requests for Jones to stop defaming the victims of a school shooting, and generally encouraging his listeners to abuse the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting. Nor has Jones shown any remorse for the pain he has caused; to this day he paints himself as the victim.  

If Jones cannot pay the judgment, then his media assets, should be sold off to pay the judgment.  

Under no circumstances should Infowars be returned to Alex Jones. Nor should Infowars be given to anyone who might restore Infowars to Mr. Jones. Multiple juries have determined that Alex Jones should not only compensate his victims, but also be punished for his actions.  

Bankruptcy is often seen as the end of a business. While some businesses can reorganize and continue doing business after a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Infowars deserves to end in bankruptcy. The loss of Infowars would be a sufficient punishment to Jones and would help to heal the families of the Sandy Hook victims who had to suffer because Jones abused his media platform. 

Do I Need an Attorney to Manage the Bankruptcy Process?

Bankruptcy is a major undertaking. A person’s finances, property, and assets must be evaluated. A thorough understanding of the applicable laws and following the legal procedures is also essential. If you intend to file for bankruptcy, you should hire a skilled bankruptcy lawyer.