On Tuesday, a federal judge nullified the sale of Alex Jones’ Infowars to The Onion, a satirical news website. The judge ruled that the auction process did not sufficiently compensate the families of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims. Jones has been ordered to pay these families $1.5 billion in damages for spreading conspiracy theories about the incident.
After a two-day hearing, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez criticized the auction process, stating that the sale to The Onion left significant money unclaimed for the Sandy Hook families. He emphasized the need to maximize the compensation for them, as reported by the Associated Press.
While the judge acknowledged issues with the auction, he dismissed Jones’ allegations of illegal collusion. Instead, he attributed the problems to a “good-faith error” by the bankruptcy trustee overseeing the sale.
The judge also noted that the bids from the two participants in the auction—The Onion’s $1.75 million and the Jones-affiliated First United American Companies’ $3.5 million—were substantial given the amount Jones owes.
Judge Lopez did not mandate a new auction, leaving it to the trustee to resolve the issue and secure more funds for the creditors. It remains uncertain whether The Onion will be permitted to submit a follow-up bid.