A bankruptcy judge rejected The Onion‘s planned acquisition of Alex Jones‘ Infowars via a bankruptcy auction.
In a ruling issued late Tuesday, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez faulted the auction process, per the AP.
Last month, The Onion won the bidding for Infowars, which has been forced to sell its assets after a $1.4 billion defamation judgment in favor of the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting massacre. The satirical news site planned to relaunch Infowars in January, with Everytown for Gun Safety working with them as advertising partner.
“We are deeply disappointed in today’s decision, but The Onion will continue to seek a resolution that helps the Sandy Hook families receive a positive outcome from the horror they endured,” Ben Collins, the CEO of The Onion, said in a statement.
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He said that they would “continue to seek a path towards purchasing Infowars in the coming weeks.”
Jones’ Infowars has made tens of millions from spreading conspiracy theories. He had made the false claim that the 2012 shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a hoax, something that led to families of the victims receiving harassing threats even as they grieved the deaths of their children. The shooter murdered 26 people in the school, including 20 children.
“I want to thank everyone who has stood with myself and the Infowars crew as we weathered the total Deep State assault in the last nine years,” Jones said.
Per the AP, The Onion offered $1.75 million in cash for Infowars’ assets. A company affiliated with Jones bid $3.5 million. The judge said that the auction should have maximized the amount that could be raised in the bankruptcy process, including for the Sandy Hook families, the AP reported.
Chris Mattei, the attorney for the Connecticut Sandy Hook families, said that they were “disappointed” by the decision, noting that the court-appointed bankruptcy trustee had determined that it would be in the best interest of the creditors.
“These families, who have already persevered through countless delays and roadblocks, remain resilient and determined as ever to hold Alex Jones and his corrupt businesses accountable for the harm he has caused,” Mattei said in a statement. “This decision doesn’t change the fact that, soon, Alex Jones will begin to pay his debt to these families and he will continue doing so for as long as it takes.”
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