AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ media company, Free Speech Systems, filed for bankruptcy Friday, but his lawyer said it shouldn’t halt a lawsuit for damages for ongoing defamation suit in Texas that seeks to force Jones to pay $150 million or more to the family of one of the children killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
The trial in Austin, where Jones lives and Free Speech Systems is based, concluded its first week of testimony Friday and is expected to conclude next week. The bankruptcy filing was announced by Jones’ attorney, Andino Reynal, later in the day.
Reynal and attorneys for the family suing Jones told Judge Maya Guerra Gamble that the bankruptcy filing would not stop the lawsuit.
The company wants to “put this part of the odyssey behind us so we have some numbers” set for damages, Reynal said.
Details of the bankruptcy filing were not immediately available.
It’s not the first time a bankruptcy filing has been filed amid litigation against Jones by the Sandy Hook families. In April, Jones’ company, Infowars, and two of his other business entities filed for bankruptcy protection, prompting a delay in the trial. Free Speech Systems is the parent company of Infowars.
Courts in Texas and Connecticut have already held Jones liable for defamation for his portrayal of the Sandy Hook massacre as a hoax involving actors with the goal of increasing gun control. In both states, judges entered default judgments against Jones without trial because he failed to respond to subpoenas and turn over documents.
Christopher Mattei, the attorney for the Sandy Hook families in the Connecticut case, issued a statement Friday evening announcing the bankruptcy filing.
“Just two days before jury selection begins in Connecticut, Mr. Jones has once again fled like a coward to bankruptcy court in a transparent attempt to delay the showdown on families he has been hurting for years,” he said. Mattei. “These families have infinite patience and remain determined to hold Mr. Jones accountable in a Connecticut court.”
The trial in Austin aims to determine how much Jones should pay for defamation of Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose 6-year-old son, Jesse Lewis, was among the 20 children and six educators killed in the deadliest school shooting in the country They and other Sandy Hook families suing Jones say they have endured years of harassment and threats as a result of Jones’ repeated false claims that the shooting was a hoax or did not happen.
Jones claimed in court records last year that he had a negative net worth of $20 million, but attorneys for the Sandy Hook families have painted a different financial picture.
Court records show Jones’ Infowars store, which sells nutritional supplements and survival gear, made more than $165 million between 2015 and 2018. Jones has also urged listeners to his Infowars show to donate money.
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Associated Press writer Dave Collins in Hartford, Conn., contributed to this report.