In a dramatic turn of events for one of America’s most controversial media figures, a Texas judge has ordered the liquidation of Alex Jones’s Infowars empire, aiming to satisfy nearly $1.5 billion in court judgments owed to the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims. The ruling, delivered by Judge Maya Guerra Gamble in Austin on August 13, 2025, marks a pivotal moment in a long and tumultuous legal saga that has gripped the nation and reignited debates on free speech, defamation, and accountability for misinformation.
According to CNN and Los Angeles Times, Judge Guerra Gamble appointed a receiver to take over Jones’s company, Free Speech Systems, which owns Infowars, and authorized the sale of its assets. The proceeds are earmarked for the families of the 2012 Sandy Hook tragedy, where a gunman killed 20 first-graders and six educators in Newtown, Connecticut. This legal action follows Jones’s 2022 liability verdict, in which courts in both Connecticut and Texas found him responsible for defaming the families by repeatedly claiming the massacre was a hoax. The families testified about being harassed and terrorized by Jones’s supporters, a chilling consequence of his persistent misinformation campaigns.
The court’s order has immediate and sweeping implications. Free Speech Systems now has five days from formal service of the order to turn over its assets to the receiver, Gregory Milligan of Austin. The judge also authorized the receiver to change the locks at all company locations and called on law enforcement to assist if necessary, aiming to prevent any interference as the company’s studios, production equipment, and intellectual property are prepared for sale. As reported by Los Angeles Times, it’s not yet clear when the order will be formally served or when the receiver will take control, but the move could force Jones out of his studio within days.
The ruling also revives a bizarre subplot: the satirical news site The Onion is once again in the running to purchase Infowars. Last year, The Onion submitted a bid to acquire the far-right platform, intending to transform it into a parody site. However, a federal bankruptcy judge previously blocked the sale, citing a lack of transparency in the sealed-bid auction process and uncertainty over the true value of The Onion’s offer. As CNN reported, Judge Christopher Lopez expressed concerns about whether The Onion’s bid was actually superior to a competing offer from a company affiliated with Jones. The auction’s outcome was rejected, and the bankruptcy judge allowed the Sandy Hook families to pursue asset liquidation in state court—setting the stage for this week’s dramatic developments.
Ben Collins, chief executive of The Onion, confirmed on social media, “We’re working on it,” hinting at the publication’s continued interest in acquiring Infowars. Should the sale go through, it would be one of the most unusual media acquisitions in recent memory, potentially turning a platform once known for conspiracy theories into an instrument of satire and commentary.
Jones, never one to shy away from the spotlight, responded defiantly on his daily show. On August 14, 2025, he declared, “People want to hear this show. I will continue on with the network. They can harass me forever. ... And they won’t get me off the air.” He insisted that the court order was improper, arguing that Free Speech Systems’ assets are still under the control of a bankruptcy trustee in federal court. Jones revealed that he has already established another studio, ready to continue broadcasting should he be locked out of his current facilities. He also noted that a state court hearing on the matter is scheduled for September 16, 2025, leaving the future of Infowars in limbo for now.
Jones’s lawyer, Ben Broocks, and receiver Gregory Milligan did not respond to requests for comment as of August 15, 2025, according to Los Angeles Times. The lack of clarity over the precise timing and logistics of the asset takeover adds to the uncertainty swirling around Infowars and its founder.
The legal battles stem from years of incendiary rhetoric. Jones, a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, built Infowars into a megaphone for far-right views and outlandish conspiracy theories. His repeated claims that the Sandy Hook shooting was staged led to lawsuits from victims’ families, who described the relentless torment they endured from Jones’s followers. In 2022, courts in Connecticut and Texas found him liable for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress, ordering him and Free Speech Systems to pay nearly $1.5 billion in damages—a staggering sum reflecting both the harm caused and the courts’ determination to hold Jones accountable.
After the verdicts, Jones and his company filed for bankruptcy, seeking protection from creditors as the legal judgments mounted. The bankruptcy proceedings became a battleground in their own right, with disputes over the valuation and sale of Infowars’ assets. In November 2024, after The Onion was briefly named the winning bidder in a sealed auction, a bankruptcy court trustee shut down Infowars’ Austin studio and websites for about 24 hours. Broadcasting resumed the next day as legal wrangling continued, and Jones moved operations to a nearby studio to keep his show on the air.
Despite the overwhelming court judgments, Jones has not relented in his efforts to appeal the decisions. He maintains that his comments were protected by free speech rights and accuses the courts of improper actions. In 2022, he even stated publicly that he believed the Sandy Hook shootings were “100% real,” a sharp reversal from his earlier claims but one that did little to stem the tide of legal consequences.
The Sandy Hook families, for their part, have expressed a desire for closure and accountability. The court-ordered liquidation of Infowars represents a significant step toward justice, though it remains to be seen how much of the massive judgments will ultimately be collected. The case has become a touchstone in national debates over the limits of free speech, the responsibilities of media figures, and the real-world impact of conspiracy theories.
As the legal process unfolds, the fate of Infowars hangs in the balance. Will it be sold to The Onion and reborn as a parody site, or will another buyer emerge? Will Jones find a way to keep broadcasting, as he vows, or will the courts finally silence his platform? For now, the only certainty is that the eyes of the nation remain fixed on Austin, watching to see what comes next in this extraordinary legal and cultural drama.
With the court’s latest order, the Sandy Hook families move one step closer to justice, while the future of Infowars—and Alex Jones himself—remains as unpredictable as ever.
