WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed conservative conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ final effort to prevent an almost $1.5 billion defamation verdict regarding his false claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting was a fabrication.
The court without comment turned away Jones’ appeal of a state court ruling.
He recently urged the court to take immediate action, arguing that without intervention, his website, Infowars, risked being handed over to the satirical news outlet The Onion.
The proposed acquisition would be used to help fund payments to family members of the Sandy Hook victims.
In a recent filing, Jones’ attorneys cautioned that without a pause in the case, “InfoWars will have been overtaken by its ideological antagonist and obliterated.”
In December 2012, a gunman killed 20 first-grade children and six adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
After the shooting, Jones on more than one occasion suggested during his online shows that it was a “staged event,” according to court papers.
Families of the victims then sued in Connecticut state court, claiming defamation as well as other state law violations.
Jones, who operates InfoWars through Free Speech Systems, failed in state court attempts to challenge the verdict and is also pursuing bankruptcy protection.
The Onion had previously been unsuccessful in acquiring InfoWars at a bankruptcy auction, but Jones’ attorney indicated a new bid is underway in Texas state court.
