AUSTIN, Texas — A satirical news publication’s attempt to acquire Alex Jones’ conspiracy theory platform has hit another legal roadblock after a Texas court temporarily suspended the proposed transaction Thursday.
The Onion had planned to transform the Infowars brand, which Jones used to spread misinformation, into comedy websites. However, the acquisition remains uncertain as Infowars undergoes liquidation proceedings to satisfy defamation judgments exceeding $1 billion owed to families affected by the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. Jones had falsely claimed the shooting was staged.
Under the proposed arrangement, The Onion would receive interim rights to utilize Infowars’ brand names, creative content rights, and other intellectual assets while Texas court-appointed officials oversee the liquidation process.
Thursday’s scheduled court session to consider approving The Onion’s proposal became merely a status update after the Texas Third Court of Appeals granted an emergency request from Jones’ legal team to freeze any transfer of Infowars properties. The presiding judge rescheduled the matter for May 28.
Legal representatives for the Sandy Hook families had petitioned the Texas Supreme Court to reverse the appeals court decision prior to Thursday’s proceedings.
Ben Collins, who leads The Onion, expressed frustration on social media before the hearing. “This newly insane, unprecedented legal stalling does nothing but delay our deal with the receiver to take control of InfoWars,” Collins stated. “We now expect new traps in Alex Jones’ amoral war to deny paying the Sandy Hook families, but we’re freshly surprised by the U.S. legal system’s appetite to put up with it.”
Meanwhile, Jones celebrated the development in social media videos posted Wednesday evening, claiming The Onion’s acquisition attempt violated legal procedures partly because he maintains active appeals in his case.
“I said days ago there’s no way the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Texas doesn’t overturn this — you know they’re all Democrats — because it’s so outrageous what you’ve done,” Jones stated.
