Judge Postpones Sale of InfoWars to The Onion

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Facts

  • A federal bankruptcy judge Monday left in limbo the sale of InfoWars, which was formerly owned by Alex Jones, to the satirical website The Onion until an evidentiary hearing can be held at a date to be determined next month.[1][2]
  • The bankruptcy stems from a $1.5B defamation judgment against Jones for calling the Sandy Hook school shooting a hoax, with liquidation proceeds earmarked for creditors — including victims' families — leading to the forced sale of the company.[3]
  • The Onion bid $1.75M, while another company, First United American Companies — which is affiliated with Jones — made a $3.5M bid. However, The Onion's bid won because it included concessions from Sandy Hook families to benefit other creditors.[4]
  • Following the auction, Judge Christopher Lopez voiced skepticism regarding the sale, calling for an evidentiary hearing to 'figure out exactly what happened.'[5]
  • Jones claims the auction was 'rigged,' accusing The Onion, the court-appointed trustee Christopher Murray, and the Sandy Hook families of collusion. He argues the bid violated auction rules by involving multiple entities, lacking a valid dollar amount, and bypassing live bidding.[5]
  • Lopez could decide to approve The Onion's bid, order a new auction, or grant the sale to First United American Companies. Regardless, Jones plans to continue broadcasting from alternative platforms.[2]

Sources: [1]Associated Press, [2]NBC, [3]Dallas News, [4]FOX 7 Austin and [5]Newsweek.

Narratives

  • Left narrative, as provided by Grand Forks Herald. The Onion has a chance to take this dangerous website and turn it into something nice by transforming Jones' old platform of harmful conspiracy theories into a hub of satire and truth-telling humor. By replacing Jones' damaging lies with sharp, impactful wit, The Onion will ensure that disinformation no longer profits off tragedy.
  • Right narrative, as provided by Infowars. Regardless of anyone's opinion of Jones, he deserves the same due process as anyone else. The people behind this lawsuit are from an anti-gun rights organization, and they're using The Onion as a front to push their political agenda. Since the 'winning parties' knew they would lose the auction, they made an illegal backroom deal with the government to ensure their bid would win.