Legal Delays Stall The Onion’s Plan to Transform Infowars
In Austin, Texas, a proposed agreement involving the satirical news outlet, The Onion, to convert Alex Jones’ Infowars platforms into parody sites encountered another hurdle on Thursday. A Texas court has temporarily halted the deal, leaving the fate of the Infowars transformation uncertain.
Infowars, based in Austin, is on the brink of dissolution due to over $1 billion in defamation judgments that Alex Jones owes to the families of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims. Jones had falsely labeled the tragedy as a hoax. The proposed arrangement seeks to allow The Onion temporary usage of Infowars’ intellectual property while a state receiver oversees the platform’s liquidation process.
A court hearing in Austin intended to finalize The Onion’s deal with the receiver was downgraded to a status conference. This change came after Alex Jones’ legal team secured an emergency motion from the Texas Third Court of Appeals, temporarily blocking the transfer of Infowars assets. The judge has rescheduled a hearing for May 28.
Meanwhile, legal representatives for the Sandy Hook families have petitioned the Texas Supreme Court to overturn the appellate ruling, though the high court has not issued a decision.
Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion, expressed frustration over the delays in a social media post, stating, “This newly insane, unprecedented legal stalling does nothing but delay our deal with the receiver to take control of InfoWars.” He further criticized the ongoing legal maneuvers as attempts to avoid compensating the Sandy Hook families.
In anticipation of the agreement, The Onion has already begun selling Infowars-branded merchandise on its website, such as T-shirts and tote bags featuring an altered Infowars logo. The plan aims to generate revenue for the victims’ families by transforming Infowars into a platform for comedic content that satirizes conspiracy theories and political commentary.
Despite the court’s decision, Alex Jones declared victory on his social media outlets, branding The Onion’s plan as illegal due to ongoing appeals and his personal bankruptcy case. “I said days ago there’s no way the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Texas doesn’t overturn this,” Jones remarked, attributing the court’s decision to political motivations.
Mark Bankston, an attorney for some Sandy Hook victims, criticized Jones for repeatedly delaying Infowars’ liquidation through court filings. He commented, “As far as the world is concerned, Infowars is dead. Everybody knows that.” Bankston accused Jones of attempting to maintain a defunct media organization.
This legal setback is not The Onion’s first encounter with obstacles in its efforts to acquire Infowars. In November 2024, The Onion was declared the winner of a bankruptcy court auction for Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems. However, a federal judge later overturned the auction results due to issues with the bidding process.
Jones has revealed plans for a new studio and has launched a phone app and websites marketing his merchandise. His personal social media accounts remain active and unaffected by the legal proceedings.
