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The Onion's bid to take over Infowars hits another snag
+548 words added -477 words removed
− By
Tovia Smith
In this photo illustration, The Onion website is displayed on a computer screen, showing a satirical story titled Here's Why I Decided To Buy 'InfoWars.' Mario Tama/Getty Images North America hide caption
Conservative conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has won another reprieve in his bid to block the satirical website The Onion from taking over his Infowars platform.
+ By
Tovia Smith
In this photo illustration, The Onion website is displayed on a computer screen, showing a satirical story titled Here's Why I Decided To Buy 'InfoWars.' Mario Tama/Getty Images North America hide caption
The fight over whether the satirical website The Onion can take over Infowars, the media company run by conservative conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, is now in the hands of the state's highest court.
− But Jones says he's being forced out of his Infowars studio anyway, and will move Thursday night to a new studio to rebuild under new ownership.
+ But meanwhile, Jones says he is still being forced to leave his Infowars studio, and plans to move to a new one Thursday night and rebuild under new ownership.
− News The Onion has agreed to a new deal to take over Infowars A Texas appeals court late Wednesday night granted Jones's emergency request to pause a deal that would allow the Onion to license the Infowars brand name and turn the show into a mockery of itself.
+ News The Onion has agreed to a new deal to take over Infowars The Onion had hoped a deal would be approved by a lower court judge Thursday, letting it license the Infowars brand name and turn the show into a mockery of itself.
− The Onion hoped a lower court judge would approve the deal at a Thursday hearing, but the appeals court order temporarily ties the judge's hands.
+ Proceeds would have gone to the Sandy Hook families who won more than $1.3 billion in a defamation case against Jones, after he spread lies that the 2012 elementary school shooting never happened and the grieving parents were just actors.
− The deal remains in limbo while the courts address several legal issues raised by Jones in his appeal.
+ The families, who were stalked and harassed by Jones supporters for years, support The Onion deal.
− But in a video posted shortly after the decision was issued, Jones said he is still being forced to leave his Infowars studio Thursday and to move to a new one, because a court-appointed state receiver is no longer paying to keep open the studio in Austin, Texas.
"He's not paying the bills, like the rent or the Internet, the satellite, so we have to shut down," Jones said, adding that Thursday "is the last official Infowars show."
Still, Jones called the appeals court decision "a massive victory," saying the lawsuits against him "failed to silence us and it's created a Streisand effect to only boost people's interest into why we're under such attack."
The Onion takeover is backed by the Sandy Hook families who won more than $1.3 billion in a defamation case against Jones, who spread lies that the 2012 elementary school shooting never happened and the grieving parents were actors trying to drum up support for gun control.
+ Jones won a reprieve from a Texas appeals court Wednesday, and the families' attorneys filed their own appeal to the Supreme Court of Texas on Thursday.
− The falsehoods led to Jones's supporters stalking and harassing the families for years.
+ Control of Infowars is now in limbo until the higher courts weigh in.
− The receiver is charged with taking control of Jones's assets and using the proceeds to pay the families what Jones owes them.
+ In a video posted Wednesday, Jones said he must move from his Infowars studio in Austin, Texas, because a court-appointed state receiver is no longer paying the bills to keep it open.
− To date, they have not collected a penny.
+ The receiver is charged with taking control of Jones's assets and selling them to pay the families what Jones owes them.
− Lawyers for the families say they are pressing on and "look forward to the Onion's ultimate takeover of Jones's corrupt business."
"The Sandy Hook families have endless patience and over $1 billion dollars in judgments against Alex Jones and Infowars," said attorney Chris Mattei.
+ "He's not paying the bills, like the rent or the Internet, the satellite, so we have to shut down," Jones said, adding that Thursday "is the last official Infowars show."
Still, Jones called the appeals court decision "a massive victory," saying the lawsuits against him "failed to silence us and it's created a Streisand effect to only boost people's interest into why we're under such attack."
Lawyers for the families, who have yet to collect a penny from their judgment against Jones, say they are pressing on and "look forward to the Onion's ultimate takeover of Jones's corrupt business."
"The Sandy Hook families have endless patience and over $1 billion dollars in judgments against Alex Jones and Infowars," said attorney Chris Mattei.
− "His desperate legal maneuvering can do nothing to stop the inevitable closure of Infowars, and we call on the Texas courts to recognize that the families, whose final judgments have been blessed by the United States Supreme Court, are entitled to a speedy and just resolution."
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+ "His desperate legal maneuvering can do nothing to stop the inevitable closure of Infowars, and we call on the Texas courts to recognize that the families, whose final judgments have been blessed by the United States Supreme Court, are entitled to a speedy and just resolution."
For his part, The Onion CEO Ben Collins called out the "insane, unprecedented legal stalling." He wrote in a post on social media, "We now expect new traps in Alex Jones' amoral war to deny paying the Sandy Hook families, but we're freshly surprised by the U.S. legal system's appetite to put up with it."
The Onion first tried to buy Infowars in 2024, through a federal bankruptcy auction, but the bankruptcy judge overseeing the case rejected the deal saying the auction process was flawed.
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