A federal judge has rejected the sale of the conspiracy platform Infowars to The Onion satirical news outlet after Alex Jones claimed the recent bankruptcy auction was tainted with illegal collusion. The Onion was named the winning bidder over a company affiliated with Jones, but the judge ruled that the auction process was flawed and left too much money on the table for families of victims of the Sandy Hook shooting.
The sale of Infowars is part of Jones’ personal bankruptcy case after he was ordered to pay defamation lawsuits by Sandy Hook victims’ families. The proceeds will go to the families and other creditors. However, there have been allegations of fraud and collusion from Jones, who denies any wrongdoing.
The Onion had planned to relaunch Infowars as a parody site, but with the judge’s ruling, Jones can continue running the platform. The trustee overseeing the auction will determine the next steps, and there may be further legal challenges.
The Onion valued its bid at $7 million with the addition of money from the Sandy Hook families, but Jones’ affiliated company bid higher. The trustee defended The Onion’s bid during the hearing, calling it the better offer.
Overall, the court case has raised questions about the auction process and the handling of the sale of Infowars. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop in the coming days.
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