The Onion Isn’t Waiting For A Judge’s Order And Plans To Launch New Infowars Site To Help Support Sandy Hook Families

Satirical news outlet The Onion isn’t going to hold for a judge’s bid to motorboat nan caller InfoWars tract it has been trying to acquire to support nan families of children and teachers killed astatine nan Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

InfoWars, formerly nan right-wing website of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, has been successful limbo since he was sued for defamation for baselessly claiming nan 2012 wide shooting successful Newtown, Connecticut, was a hoax. Jones was ordered by nan courts to salary astir $1.5 cardinal for spewing nan lies, but declared bankruptcy successful 2022. InfoWars was put up for auction successful 2024 aft Jones grounded to salary nan families of nan massacre.

The Onion has been wrangling complete nan destiny of nan tract successful nan courts complete nan past fewer months, but contempt not having ineligible support to publish nether nan InfoWars brand, nan institution announced it would motorboat July 2. “Get connected board. InfoWars launches July 2, 8 p.m. EST,” nan satirical news outlet said.

“We’re tired of waiting around,” The Onion’s CEO, Ben Collins, told MSNOW. In a memo to unit obtained by nan outlet, Collins said nan caller tract will see a parody of Jones’ aged show and Sandy Hook families will person much than $100,000 arsenic an first payment.

Two courts successful Texas person nan powerfulness to find nan adjacent steps—the Third Court of Appeals and nan Texas Supreme Court—but nan lawsuit has stalled aft nan appeals tribunal approved an emergency mobility by Jones’ lawyers that temporarily blocked nan transportation of immoderate InfoWars assets.

“Alex is holding Infowars.com hostage,” Collins told MSNOW. “He’s trying to intentionally degrade nan assets truthful these families tin ne'er waste them, and nan courts person mostly obliged.”

“Somebody’s sewage to do this, aliases other he’ll get distant pinch it,” he added.

“We will get it,” vowed comedian Tim Heidecker, nan imaginative head of nan caller InfoWars site, successful an question and reply pinch WIRED. “The timeline is nan tribunal moves slowly. We’re conscionable plowing ahead.”

Sandy Hook families person endorsed nan move and expressed their gratitude for nan news outlet successful a statement.

“We person worked for years to clasp Alex Jones accountable and to dismantle his corrupt business,” Chris Mattei, an lawyer representing immoderate of nan Sandy Hook families, told MSNOW. “That has required grit and resolve, qualities that The Onion has successful spades. We’re grateful for The Onion’s continued committedness to taking complete nan husk that is Infowars and turning it into thing good.”

The Onion said it plans to “transform 1 of nan internet’s astir notorious misinformation platforms into a caller drama web built for satire, net civilization and emerging imaginative voices” successful a erstwhile property release.

Jones melted down successful April aft The Onion announced nan plans, accusing nan marque of “stealing my identity” and “misrepresenting who I am.” He past became truthful huffy astir it, that he went connected a furious shirtless rampage.

“Just because you’re wearing my garment doesn’t mean you’re me, let’s beryllium 100 percent clear astir that,” nan conspiracy theorist ranted.

“The full thing’s astir defaming me. You can’t return thing complete and past enactment for illustration you’re somebody, moreover if you opportunity it’s a parody,” he continued. “You could do a parody of somebody, but not if you took thing from them… So you guys, support laughing, conscionable for illustration you did a twelvemonth and a half ago.”