OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
3:33 PM – Tuesday, October 14, 2025
The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear Infowars founder and host Alex Jones’ appeal of an approximately $1.4 billion defamation judgment, stemming from prior claims relating to the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting being “staged.”
The decision effectively leaves intact one of the largest defamation awards in U.S. history.
“The Plaintiffs here are on the opposite side of the ideological spectrum and do not want money for their judgment,” Jones’s lawyers wrote to the justices. “Their initial motivations were to get Jones’s message off the air. But after entry of the devastating, record breaking $1,436,650,000 judgment, that motivation morphed to something more sinister.”
Jones previously theorized that the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, in which 20 children and six educators were killed by gunman Adam Lanza at a school in Newtown, Connecticut, was a “false flag” operation staged by the U.S. government to further promote gun control measures. At the time, Jones described the shooting as “manufactured” and “a giant hoax.”
A false flag is a covert act or operation designed to mislead the public by attributing blame to an opponent or authority, often to justify war, influence legislation, or sway public opinion.
The original lawsuit, filed by 14 family members of the victims and a former FBI agent who responded to the scene, accused Jones of spreading lies that caused immense emotional distress.
In the 2022 defamation trial, FBI Special Agent William Aldenberg was among the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Jones and the first witness on the stand. As a first responder to the scene, Aldenberg testified about witnessing the aftermath and his testimony was central to the case’s ruling, plaintiffs’ attorneys emphasized.
A Connecticut jury later found Jones liable, awarding $965 million in compensatory damages and $474 million in punitive damages. Aldenberg was also awarded approximately $90 million as his share of the $1.4 billion.
In terms of recent developments, in September, Ed Martin Jr.— U.S. Pardon Attorney and Director of the Weaponization Working Group — sent a letter to Aldenberg’s attorney questioning if he received any “financial benefits” from “organizing” the lawsuit or if his FBI role created conflicts, suggesting potential violations of federal ethics laws.
However, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche later directed Martin to withdraw the inquiry.
Jones has consistently argued that the judgment violates his constitutional rights to free speech and due process, and he has also contended that the size of the award is excessive and unnecessary. However, despite Jones’ assertions, the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the appeal seemingly ensures that he remains legally responsible for paying the full amount — despite filing for bankruptcy in December 2022.
Courts have since ruled that Jones cannot “use bankruptcy as a shield,” and efforts to liquidate assets from his company, Infowars, have faced complications — including a failed auction. Asset liquidation is now being pursued in Texas, where Jones is contesting the appointment of a court-appointed receiver.
Nonetheless, despite the legal challenges, Jones has still maintained a public presence, having over 4.4 million followers on X. His social media account continues to post media appearances and other online content relevant to his brand as a media personality. However, with the ongoing challenges and financial obligations, it could later affect his ability to operate and produce content at the scale previously associated with Infowars.
“The Supreme Court properly rejected Jones’s latest desperate attempt to avoid accountability for the harm he has caused. We look forward to enforcing the jury’s historic verdict and making Jones and Infowars pay for what they have done,” Chris Mattei, an attorney representing the families, said in a statement.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments!Sponsored Content Below