With a bankruptcy judge scheduled to decide whether to liquidate his assets to help pay the $1.5 billion he owes for his false claims that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax, right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones looks to be on the verge of losing the Infowars media platform that he turned into a multimillion-dollar moneymaker over the past 25 years.
U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Houston has a hearing set for Friday morning.

Jones has been informing his radio listeners and web viewers that the bankruptcy is almost causing Infowars’ parent firm, Free Speech Systems, to close. Along with directing them to a new website of his father’s business if they wish to keep purchasing the nutritional supplements he promotes on his show, he has also been encouraging people to download recordings from his online archive in order to preserve them.

Alex Jones Could Lose His Infowars Platform To Pay For Sandy Hook Conspiracy Lawsuit

On his broadcast on Wednesday, Jones declared, “I think it’s very accurate to say Infowars is a sinking ship.” He later added that he might lose the firm in a matter of hours or days.

“Infowars will live on through all the great work we’ve done, all the reports we’ve filed, through your saving and sharing them, and of course I will come back stronger than ever,” he declared. I shall, however, remain on board the ship until it completely sinks. I shall then board the following ship at the last minute.

Assets of Jones would be sold off in a liquidation. Furthermore, Jones can lose all copyrights, Infowars, Free Speech Systems, and the company’s social media profiles. The finer points are still to be decided. Roger Stone, a longtime adviser to Donald Trump, and other Jones followers have hinted that they would try to purchase Infowars.

Prior to Friday’s hearing, messages were left for Jones and Free Speech Systems’ bankruptcy attorneys requesting reaction. The most recent court financial reports show that Jones has around $9 million in personal assets and $4 million in cash on hand for his company.

After family members of many victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, which killed 20 first graders and six teachers, received lawsuit verdicts of more than $1.4 billion in Connecticut and $49 million in Texas, Jones and Austin, Texas-based Free Speech Systems filed for bankruptcy protection in 2022.

Lawyers representing the Sandy Hook families have been pursuing liquidation.

“Doing this will enable the Connecticut families to enforce their $1.4 billion in judgments now and into the future while also depriving Jones of the ability to inflict mass harm as he has done for some 25 years,” said Chris Mattei, a lawyer for the Connecticut family.

According to the family, Jones’ remarks and the deeds of his supporters left them terrified. They testified to being threatened and harassed by followers of Jones, some of whom personally approached the bereaved family and said the shooting never happened and their children never lived. Someone threatened to dig up his dead son’s grave, according to one parent.

Originally, Jones and Free Speech Systems sought bankruptcy reorganization protection, which would have let him operate Infowars and pay the families with show earnings. But since the two sides were unable to come to a final agreement, Jones recently requested authorization to convert his personal bankruptcy from a reorganization to a liquidation.

Alex Jones Could Lose His Infowars Platform To Pay For Sandy Hook Conspiracy Lawsuit

Eight dead children’s and adult relatives are among the families in the Connecticut complaint who are requesting that Free Speech Systems’ separate bankruptcy case be likewise turned into a liquidation. The parents in the Texas lawsuit, whose six-year-old son Jesse Lewis passed away, however, want the company’s complaint to be dropped.

The company’s lawyers submitted paperwork showing they backed liquidation, but on Wednesday, Jones’s personal bankruptcy case lawyers filed a motion stating that Jones opposes the plan and that he wants the company’s case dismissed.

Free Speech Systems may find itself back in the same situation it was in following the $1.5 billion verdict in the lawsuits if its case is dismissed. Returning to the state courts in Connecticut and Texas would be the efforts to recover the damages. That might give Infowars a longer shelf life while collecting attempts were underway.

Despite his later admission that the Sandy Hook shooting occurred, Jones has been claiming on his most recent broadcasts that Democrats and the “deep state” are working together to destroy his businesses and revoke his freedom of expression due to his opinions. The Sandy Hook families are being utilized as pawns in the plot, he has further stated. The solicitors for the families contend that is absurd.

Alex Jones Could Lose His Infowars Platform To Pay For Sandy Hook Conspiracy Lawsuit

The most current financial documents submitted to the bankruptcy court show that Jones individually owns assets of around $9 million, which includes his $2.6 million Austin-area house and other real estate.

He said that for April alone, his living costs came to nearly $69,000, including $16,500 for house charges.
Employing 44 people, Free Speech Systems reported $1.9 million in expenses in April and almost $3.2 million in revenue from the sale of apparel, dietary supplements, and other products that Jones promotes on his show.

In a Texas case now ongoing, the families accuse Jones of concealing and unlawfully transferring millions of dollars. Jones has shot down the claims.

SOURCE – (AP)

Vatican City – On Friday, Pope Francis celebrated the value of humor with a rather unusual audience at the Vatican before taking off for the southern Puglia region of Italy to meet world leaders at the Group of Seven meeting.

The pope welcomed over a hundred comedians from fifteen different countries, including American stars Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock, Stephen Colbert, and Conan O’Brien.

Pope Francis Meets More Than 100 Comedians At The Vatican: ‘You Also Make God Smile’

Francis addressed the comedians, “You have the potential to transmit peace and laughter in the face of so much bad news, involved as we are in many social and even personal difficulties.

“Laughter is contagious, therefore you unite people,” he said, laughingly adding, “Please pray for me: for, not against!”

As Francis noted, God was delighted in the creation and “Divine wisdom practiced your art for the benefit of none other than God himself, the first spectator in history.”

Just keep this in mind, he said. God grins as well when you can make even one observer smile intelligently.

Pope Francis Meets More Than 100 Comedians At The Vatican: ‘You Also Make God Smile’

According to Francis, laughing at God was acceptable in the same manner as playing and joking with the ones we love.

Following his address, Francis greeted each comic separately, cracked jokes, and laughed with a few.

Goldberg recalled, “It was fantastic, really loving, and quick. It made me happy.”

Pope Francis “spoke in Italian, so I’m not quite sure what was said,” O’Brien said.

“It was really strange to be in that room with all my fellow comedians, some of whom I’ve been close friends with for many years,” the TV personality said. Every one of us was wondering how this could have happened. When will they toss us out, and why are we here?

Pope Francis Meets More Than 100 Comedians At The Vatican: ‘You Also Make God Smile’

Colbert said that he might need to improve his Italian. However, he succeeded in reminding the pope that he had produced the audiobook of his autobiography.

“It was amazing, he won’t forget me,” he said.

SOURCE – (AP)

New York – Claiming he mismanaged and neglected to disclose some of their father’s assets as trustee of the late singer’s estate, Tony Bennett’s two daughters are suing his brother.

D’Andrea “Danny” Bennett is accused in the case Antonia and Johanna Bennett filed in New York on Wednesday of failing to account for the money received from Tony Bennett’s catalog and some image rights being sold to the brand development company Iconoclast this year.

Tony Bennett’s Daughters Sue Their Brother Over His Handling Of The Late Singer’s Assets

“It remains unclear what music assets (and other property) were or were not sold as part of the deal,” the court document states because the sisters “have not been provided with various details of the transaction despite repeated requests.”

Danny Bennett, who oversees the family trust and managed the singer, did not answer a phone call or email on Thursday requesting comment on the case. Tony’s widow, Susan Benedetto, and another brother, Daegal “Dae” Bennett, were also named in the action.

Tony Bennett’s Daughters Sue Their Brother Over His Handling Of The Late Singer’s Assets

According to the lawsuit, Danny Bennett “obtained personal benefits for himself and his company” from dealings, such as the memorabilia sale, undertaken on behalf of Tony Bennett, the family trust, and Benedetto Arts LLC.

The sisters want a complete accounting and inventory of the trust and unidentified “equitable relief.” Danny Bennett is required by law to provide tax returns, receipts, and disbursements.

“Although Danny and his counsel have provided piecemeal information and produced some documents to petitioners’ counsel, the information provided raises more questions than answers and fails to provide anything close to an accounting of Tony’s assets and financial affairs,” the court statement stated.

Tony Bennett’s Daughters Sue Their Brother Over His Handling Of The Late Singer’s Assets

Tony Bennett, the renowned performer of old American tunes who established new favorites like “I Left My Heart In San Francisco,” passed away in July of last year. Though a reason was unknown, Bennett had received an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis in 2016.

Bennett put out more than seventy albums, winning nineteen Grammys in the competitive category.

SOURCE – (AP)