Sandy Hook shooting: conspirator Alex Jones ordered to pay 45 million dollars

File photo taken January 20, 2020 where radio show host Alex Jones joins thousands of gun rights advocates attending a rally hosted by the Virginia Citizens Defense League on Capitol Square near the state capitol in Richmond, Virginia.

AFP - WIN MCNAMEE

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

It is a trial that has kept the United States in suspense all week.

Famous conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was sued for defamation for calling the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting a hoax, which left 26 people dead, including 20 children.

He will have to pay almost 50 million dollars in repairs.

And that's probably just the beginning. 

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With our correspondent in Washington,

Guillaume Naudin

Freedom of expression is a due, but lies, you have to end up paying for them.

Alex Jones may have apologized and recognized that the

Sandy Hook massacre

was indeed a reality, despite everything he said in his various shows, the court was merciless.

A little over

four million in compensation

, and over 45 million in punishment.

Total, nearly 50 million dollars to be paid to a family, harassed by his followers, while he filled his pockets spreading what he knew to be false information.

Alex Jones told nonsense, but he also did nonsense, such as lying under oath in court, a crime punishable by ten years in prison.

The family's lawyer proved it by saying that Alex Jones' lawyers had accidentally sent him the contents of his mobile phone, full of messages that proved he was lying about the shooting and much more.

Towards new trials

The judicial authorities are, for example, very interested in knowing what this close friend of far-right circles said about the

attack on the capitol

on January 6, 2021.

Alex Jones is probably far from having finished with the consequences of his actions.

Because other trials with other families await him.

And that first $50 million might just mean tipping.

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