April 18 (UPI) — Three companies connected to far-right radio host Alex Jones filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid lawsuits related to false claims about the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting.
The conspiracy theorist who suggested that shooting was a hoax, faces civil lawsuits over those debunked comments, along with his show InfoWars and companies IWHealth and Prison Planet TV. All three are part of the bankruptcy claim filed Sunday in federal court, according to The New York Times.
Last year, Jones lost two defamation lawsuits filed by victims of Sandy Hook. In a Connecticut case, a judge said Jones was liable by default for refusing to turn over documents the court demanded about his businesses.
The bankruptcy filing allows Jones and his businesses to keep operating while slowing civil litigation against them, according to Bloomberg.
Lawyers established a trust to settle legal claims in bankruptcy, and Jones turned over $725,000 to the trust to cover the cost of the bankruptcies.
Jones was deposed earlier this month in Connecticut in a lawsuit brought by Sandy Hook survivors after he was found in contempt of court in March for refusing to take part in testimony.
Jones’ attorney had sought for a repayment of $75,000 in fines for previous times the broadcaster failed to show, claiming health reasons. He had offered some survivors $120,000 each to resolve the cases, but the families refused.