Alex Jones Ordered to Pay Additional $473 Million to Sandy Hook Families

Alex Jones.Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

For pushing false conspiracy theories following the 2012 elementary school massacre, a judge ordered Infowars hostAlex Jonesto pay an additional $473 million in punitive damages to the families of Sandy Hook victims, multiple outlets report.

According to theAssociated Press,CNN, andThe New York Times, this brings the total judgment against Jones and his company Free Speech Systems to a whopping $1.44 billion.

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In response to the ruling, Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families, told theTimes,“Our hope is that this serves to reinforce the message of this case: Those who profit from lies targeting the innocent will face justice.”

According to the AP, Jones' lawyer says he plans to appeal the decision.

“To paraphrase Karl Marx, the verdict was tragedy, this latest ruling is farce. It makes our work on appeal that much easier,” Norm Pattis told the outlet.

According to theTimes, Judge Bellis issued an order to freeze Jones' assets, to prevent him from moving them outside of the United States, “until further order of the court.”

The outlet previously reported Jones' company filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. Sandy Hook families have accused him of doing so in an effort to avoid the massive payout.

In October, a jury ordered Jones to pay $965 million to eight families who lost loved ones in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, as well as an FBI agent who was at the scene, for repeatedly lying that the massacre was a hoax.

source: people.com