Alex Jones Ordered to Pay $965 Million to Sandy Hook Families
Daily KosOct 12, 2022
A Connecticut jury decided on Wednesday that Infowars founder Alex Jones should pay $965M to individuals who suffered from his claim that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax.
Jones's trial lasted three weeks and included testimony from the parents of victims, school employees, and an FBI agent who responded to the shooting. The case itself was a consolidation of three separate suits.
Not only did Jones flagrantly disrespect the families of the children who died at Sandy Hook, but he also profited from it. After almost ten years, justice has been served, as Jones will likely lose his media empire, which is a dangerous hotbed of conspiracy theories and disinformation. Hopefully, this trial will set a precedent that individuals can't spout vitriolic nonsense that harms victims of tragic events for political and financial gain.
This is a sad day for freedom of speech in the US. The American political elite doesn't want the public asking questions, especially regarding things that may counter the dominant narrative around gun control and other civil liberties. Like him or hate him, Jones has a right to freedom of speech and to explore the political class's anti-American narratives.
There's a 1% chance that Alex Jones will ever hold high Federal office in the US before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.