Latest news with #Infowars'
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Posts Deranged Obama Meme in QAnon-Inspired Truth Social Spree
President Donald Trump went on another Truth Social posting spree over the weekend to rehash a bizarre dig at Barack Obama while appealing to his QAnon base. Early Sunday morning, Trump reposted a photo of himself with the 44th president captioned, 'All roads lead to Obama. Retruth if you want public military tribunals.' It's not the first time Trump has tried to rally support for extrajudicial trials. In August last year, Trump posted the same image in an eerily similar Truth Social posting spree. The post appeared to be aimed at believers of the far-right, pro-Trump conspiracy QAnon, which alleges that the world is run by a cabal of satanic pedophiles including Obama, former President Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton, among a long list of high-profile names. QAnon conspiracies accuse Obama and other political enemies of treason and advocate for military tribunals. Trump's renewed call for an Obama military trial appeared to excite the conspiracy theorists in his fanbase, with Infowars' Alex Jones boosting the post on X. 'Biden was not elected in 2020 and Obama ran the country illegally for the last 4 years,' Jones falsely claimed. 'Now you know why President Trump is talking about MILITARY TRIBUNALS.' The SCIF, another popular conspiracy theorist on X, also celebrated Trump's post. 'IT'S HAPPENING!' the user wrote. 'The deep state can not hide the truth any longer, it's all flowing out. Since Trump took office and DOGE starting uncovering the massive amounts of corruption, everything is beginning to line up, and all the evidence is there.' Trump also reposted three AI-generated artworks within minutes of each other, each one depicting him as a fighter donning a red cape or wielding a sword. They appeared to be another reference to longstanding QAnon theories that claim Trump is waging a battle against an evil group controlling the world. The artworks were captioned 'Slayer of the Deep State,' 'Blind justice under the law will return to our republic,' and 'We are taking back our great country.' All four of Trump's reposts on Sunday were initially published by a Truth Social user named Spiritual Streetfighter. 'I believe in Q,' her bio reads. It concludes with 'WWG1WGA' or 'Where We Go One, We Go All'—a slogan adopted by QAnon supporters to signal their unity. QAnon was once a fringe conspiracy theory that slowly seeped into the mainstream over the years, thanks in part to the attention it has received from Trump and other MAGA figures. Kash Patel, Trump's pick to lead the FBI, was hammered by lawmakers in February for his earlier statements echoing claims of a 'deep state' and 'government gangsters.' 'I have publicly, including in interviews given to this committee, rejected outright QAnon baseless conspiracy theories or any other conspiracy theories,' he told senators. 'The president has said publicly that he will allow the FBI to remain independent, and I have said as much as well.'
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal judge denies Sandy Hook families' settlement in Alex Jones bankruptcy
AUSTIN, Texas — A federal bankruptcy judge overseeing the case of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones rejected a proposed settlement from the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims. The decision complicates a proposed sale of Jones' Infowars platform and could spur divisions between families who sued Jones and won nearly $1.3 billion in Connecticut court cases and those who won $50 million in Texas courts. The proposed settlement had aimed to address how the families would split $16 million in liquidated assets. In the proposed settlement, the families who sued Jones in Texas would have received $4 million and the right to collect 25% of any distributions exceeding $12 million going to the families who sued Jones in Connecticut. The settlement could have allowed some families who sued in Texas to collectively receive up to $480 million from Infowars' parent company, Free Speech Systems. Jones said the settlement was an effort to dismiss his appeals. U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Christopher Lopez of the Southern District of Texas stated in a Wednesday hearing that the families and Chapter 7 trustee Christopher Murray could either try to resolve issues in state court or return with another settlement proposal. The denial is the next step in Jones' ongoing bankruptcy case, which initially resulted in Free Speech System and its assets being auctioned off to help pay the nearly $1.4 billion in damages he owes to the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting in Connecticut. Twenty children and six staff members were killed in the attack. Chris Mattei, an attorney for the Connecticut families, said in a statement Wednesday that "whatever steps the families take next, their determination to enforce every penny of judgments against Alex Jones will not change." 'That day was really hard': How America's schools have changed since deadliest mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary Jones was found guilty of defamation by judges in Texas and Connecticut after using his platform to spread misinformation that the shooting was a hoax and claiming the families were "paid crisis actors." Lopez gave the order for the auction in September. Murray named a joint bid between satirical news outlet The Onion and the Connecticut families as auction winners in November. First United American Companies, which has business ties with Jones, was designated the backup bidder. In December, Lopez blocked that joint bid, saying the auction process was unfair, lacked transparency and the joint bid was questionable. Since then, First United American Companies has more than doubled its original $3.5 million offer to purchase Infowars' assets. Lopez told Murray on Wednesday that he's no longer authorized to sell Infowars' assets and vacated the September order that detailed terms of the auction. Murray and the families had tried to use the order as justification to open claims against Free Speech Systems, which Lopez said could not be done as the order had already served its intended purpose. Murray is now only authorized to sell Infowars' equity. "I'm not allowing a sale of the assets anymore, pure sale of the equity," Lopez said. "This case keeps taking twists and turns and trying to come up with really masterful, creative lawyering. But at its core, it's something I can't approve. I'm really trying to do what I think is my duty and my job upon careful analysis of the law. And so, I'm not approving. I cannot." Lopez also said since Free Speech Systems' bankruptcy case was dismissed last year, disputes with the company cannot take place in his courtroom and should be pursued in state court. Lopez has said previously that he wants the more than 2½-year-long case to be wrapped up in 2025, but it remains to be seen what will happen to Infowars' equity. 'Times when it seems like yesterday': Sandy Hook school psychologist died confronting gunman. 10 years later, her husband still fights for change. Contributing: Reuters This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Alex Jones bankruptcy: Judge rejects Sandy Hook families' settlement
USA Today
07-02-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Federal judge denies Sandy Hook families' settlement in Alex Jones bankruptcy
Hear this story AUSTIN, Texas — A federal bankruptcy judge overseeing the case of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones rejected a proposed settlement from the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims. The decision complicates a proposed sale of Jones' Infowars platform and could spur divisions between families who sued Jones and won nearly $1.3 billion in Connecticut court cases and those who won $50 million in Texas courts. The proposed settlement had aimed to address how the families would split $16 million in liquidated assets. In the proposed settlement, the families who sued Jones in Texas would have received $4 million and the right to collect 25% of any distributions exceeding $12 million going to the families who sued Jones in Connecticut. The settlement could have allowed some families who sued in Texas to collectively receive up to $480 million from Infowars' parent company, Free Speech Systems. Jones said the settlement was an effort to dismiss his appeals. U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Christopher Lopez of the Southern District of Texas stated in a Wednesday hearing that the families and Chapter 7 trustee Christopher Murray could either try to resolve issues in state court or return with another settlement proposal. The denial is the next step in Jones' ongoing bankruptcy case, which initially resulted in Free Speech System and its assets being auctioned off to help pay the nearly $1.4 billion in damages he owes to the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting in Connecticut. Twenty children and six staff members were killed in the attack. Chris Mattei, an attorney for the Connecticut families, said in a statement Wednesday that "whatever steps the families take next, their determination to enforce every penny of judgments against Alex Jones will not change." 'That day was really hard':How America's schools have changed since deadliest mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary Judge: 'I'm not allowing a sale of the assets anymore' Jones was found guilty of defamation by judges in Texas and Connecticut after using his platform to spread misinformation that the shooting was a hoax and claiming the families were "paid crisis actors." Lopez gave the order for the auction in September. Murray named a joint bid between satirical news outlet The Onion and the Connecticut families as auction winners in November. First United American Companies, which has business ties with Jones, was designated the backup bidder. In December, Lopez blocked that joint bid, saying the auction process was unfair, lacked transparency and the joint bid was questionable. Since then, First United American Companies has more than doubled its original $3.5 million offer to purchase Infowars' assets. Lopez told Murray on Wednesday that he's no longer authorized to sell Infowars' assets and vacated the September order that detailed terms of the auction. Murray and the families had tried to use the order as justification to open claims against Free Speech Systems, which Lopez said could not be done as the order had already served its intended purpose. Murray is now only authorized to sell Infowars' equity. "I'm not allowing a sale of the assets anymore, pure sale of the equity," Lopez said. "This case keeps taking twists and turns and trying to come up with really masterful, creative lawyering. But at its core, it's something I can't approve. I'm really trying to do what I think is my duty and my job upon careful analysis of the law. And so, I'm not approving. I cannot." Lopez also said since Free Speech Systems' bankruptcy case was dismissed last year, disputes with the company cannot take place in his courtroom and should be pursued in state court. Lopez has said previously that he wants the more than 2½-year-long case to be wrapped up in 2025, but it remains to be seen what will happen to Infowars' equity. 'Times when it seems like yesterday':Sandy Hook school psychologist died confronting gunman. 10 years later, her husband still fights for change. Contributing: Reuters
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Judge blocks Sandy Hook families' settlement in Alex Jones' bankruptcy: ‘I can't do that'
A US bankruptcy judge on Wednesday blocked a settlement between families who have sued Alex Jones over his false claims about the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, saying their attempt to divide the bankrupt conspiracy theorist's assets exceeded his court's authority. The decision complicates a proposed sale of Jones' Infowars platform, and could spur divisions between families who sued Jones and won nearly $1.3 billion in Connecticut court cases and those who won $50 million in Texas courts. The two groups of families had proposed a settlement that would guarantee the Texas families a 25% share of Jones' future payments made to the Sandy Hook families, with the Connecticut families taking 75%. US Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez rejected the settlement at a hearing in Houston, saying the families were asking him to also divide up the assets of Infowars' parent company, Free Speech Systems, despite the fact that the company had been dismissed from bankruptcy last year. 'I can't do that,' Lopez said. 'That case is closed.' Courts in Connecticut and Texas, where some of the families filed their lawsuits, have ruled Jones defamed the families by making repeated false claims that the school shooting, which killed 20 students and six staff members in Newton, Conn., was staged as part of a government plot to take guns away from Americans. The legal judgments drove Jones and Free Speech Systems into bankruptcy in 2022, and Lopez has appointed a bankruptcy trustee to sell Jones' assets. Lopez has allowed Free Speech Systems and Infowars to be sold in Jones' ongoing personal bankruptcy. But he said he preferred a 'pure sale' of the company's equity, which is owned by Jones, rather than allowing Infowars' assets to be broken up and sold separately. The bankruptcy trustee, Christopher Murray, had previously sought to sell Infowars to the parody news site the Onion, through a bid that was backed by the Connecticut families. Lopez shot down that sale in January, saying that Murray 'left money on the table' in order to win the Sandy Hook families' support. 'We're not doing that anymore, I don't trust the process,' Lopez said. 'Go sell the equity.' The families' attorneys had said the agreement would smooth the way for a sale of Jones' assets, including Infowars, after their previous disagreements over how to pursue Jones' assets. In the past, the Texas-based families focused on taking more cash from Jones, while the Connecticut-based families prioritized the shutdown of Jones' Infowars company. Chris Mattei, an attorney for the Connecticut families, said they remain determined to 'enforce every penny of judgments against Alex Jones.'
Reuters
05-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Judge blocks Sandy Hook families' settlement in Alex Jones' bankruptcy
Summary Companies Settlement would improperly carve up Infowars assets, judge said Jones owes $1.3 billion in families' defamation lawsuits Connecticut and Texas families agreed to 75/25 split of assets Jones is bankrupt, but his company's bankruptcy ended last year NEW YORK, Feb 5 (Reuters) - A U.S. bankruptcy judge on Wednesday blocked a settlement between families who have sued Alex Jones over his false claims about the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, saying their attempt to divide the bankrupt conspiracy theorist's assets exceeded his court's authority. The decision complicates a proposed sale of Jones' Infowars platform, and could spur divisions between families who sued Jones and won nearly $1.3 billion in Connecticut court cases and those who won $50 million in Texas courts. The two groups of families had proposed a settlement that would guarantee the Texas families a 25% share of Jones' future payments made to the Sandy Hook families, with the Connecticut families taking 75%. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez rejected the settlement at a hearing in Houston, saying the families were asking him to also divide up the assets of Infowars' parent company Free Speech Systems, despite the fact that the company had been dismissed from bankruptcy last year. "I can't do that," Lopez said. 'That case is closed." Courts in Connecticut and Texas, where some of the families filed their lawsuits, have ruled Jones defamed the families by making repeated false claims that the school shooting, which killed 20 students and six staff members in Newton, Connecticut, was staged as part of a government plot to take guns away from Americans. The legal judgments drove Jones and Free Speech Systems into bankruptcy in 2022, and Lopez has appointed a bankruptcy trustee to sell Jones' assets. Lopez has allowed Free Speech Systems and Infowars to be sold in Jones' ongoing personal bankruptcy. But he said he preferred a 'pure sale' of the company's equity, which is owned by Jones, rather than allowing Infowars' assets to be broken up and sold separately. The bankruptcy trustee, Christopher Murray, had previously sought to sell Infowars to the parody news site the Onion, through a bid that was backed by the Connecticut families. Lopez shot down that sale in January, saying that Murray "left money on the table" in order to win the Sandy Hook families' support. 'We're not doing that anymore, I don't trust the process,' Lopez said. 'Go sell the equity.' The families' attorneys had said the agreement would smooth the way for a sale of Jones' assets, including Infowars, after their previous disagreements over how to pursue Jones' assets. In the past, the Texas-based families focused on taking more cash from Jones, while the Connecticut-based families prioritized the shutdown of Jones' Infowars company. Chris Mattei, an attorney for the Connecticut families, said they remain determined to "enforce every penny of judgments against Alex Jones."
