10 Revelations from The Alex Jones Sandy Hook Trial

10 Revelations from The Alex Jones Sandy Hook Trial

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at 10 Revelations From the Alex Jones-Sandy Hook Trial.

For this video, we’ll be looking at the most shocking, personal, and eye-opening revelations that have been gleaned from the Alex Jones-Sandy Hook trial.

Which of these revelations wowed you the most? Let us know in the comments.

An Apology Won’t Suffice

Alex Jones is an alt-right radio host and conspiracy theorist. One of the most prominent claims he’s made over the years is that the 2012 tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary was “staged” and perpetrated by “crisis actors” to help advance the argument for gun control - a theory that’s been widely discredited. As a result, the father of one of the victims, Neil Heslin, sued Jones for defamation. The plaintiffs explained in court that a mere apology from Jones would not be enough to mend the incredible damage that Jones’ false claims made; Jones, Infowars and Free Speech Systems would need to be held accountable for their words and actions. They sought $150 million in damages. In the end, Jones was ordered to pay just under $50 million.

Hillary Clinton’s Presidential Campaign

Part of Jones’ defense involved shifting the blame from himself to others; for example, Hillary Clinton. Jones asserted that those suing him had been organized by Clinton, and that she was targeting him due to his support of her opponent in the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump. This was likely partially in reference to an attack ad released by Clinton’s team during the campaign that showcased the close ties between Jones and Trump, while also highlighting some of Jones’ more outlandish claims. After Trump’s election, Jones says the President-elect called him to thank him for his help securing his win.

$300 Million-a-Year (Or Not?)

The defamation trial provided some interesting (and conflicting) looks into the finances of Alex Jones’ company, Free Speech Systems. According to Jones, being ordered to pay just $2 million would “sink” the company. Jones could be hurting financially, as he admitted to losing millions in revenue after getting deplatformed in 2018. However, Mark Bankston, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, proved in a cross-examination that on several occasions in that same year, the company made as much as $800,000 a day. Provided this is a regular occurrence, their annual gross would be around $300 million. For his part, Jones claimed that this was not a regular occurence and that these numbers were not representative. In addition, during the trial, he also made an emergency bankruptcy filing for Free Speech Systems.

Jones Admits the Tragedy Was Real

As stated earlier, Jones has long claimed that the Sandy Hook shooting was a fabrication; it’s arguably his most infamous conspiracy theory, which is why it was so astonishing to hear him admit it actually happened. During Jones’ testimony, he finally admitted that the shooting was “100% real.” According to Jones himself, he came to realize its veracity after “[meeting] the parents” of the victims. This was a major revelation that made headlines around the country, and only time will tell what it will do to Jones’ character, company, and following.

Jones Regrets Spouting the Conspiracy Theory

Alex Jones built his career and reputation on conspiracy theories, but he admits to deeply regretting the one aimed at Sandy Hook. According to Jones himself, the conspiracy theory and its resulting controversy has ruined his life, and if he could go back in time, he would choose not to lie about it. This is a significant revelation, especially coming from someone whose public persona is predicated on the dissemination of baseless and provocative claims. Whether Jones feels remorse for his actions or regrets that he’s now being forced to pay millions to the plaintiffs is up for debate. But this case will serve as a cautionary tale for other would-be provocateurs, who will need to think twice before spreading lies.

Jones Went After the Judge

One of the more stupefying moments from the trial saw Jones asked about disparaging comments he made against the judge in the case, Maya Guerra Gamble. Jones denied making such comments. But in a scene ripped straight from a courtroom drama, attorney Mark Bankston played a video in which Jones connected Gamble to some horrible acts against children. Judge Gamble simply laughed in response. And, ultimately, this would not be the only time Jones was caught in a lie on the stand. More on that in a bit…

PTSD

Some may paint Alex Jones as a troll screaming about nonsense on the Internet, but we must remember the real world consequences that his so-called “opinions” have on their respective targets - and society as a whole. For example, Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, the parents of the late Jesse Lewis, have been bombarded with both digital and physical harassment by Jones’ followers. This, combined with the shock of losing their young son in the shooting, has reportedly given them post-traumatic stress disorder - something a forensic psychiatrist testified in court to this effect.

Lying Under Oath

Alex Jones has made millions of dollars over the years peddling disinformation. But during this trial, he was caught in lie after lie. There was the aforementioned lie concerning his comments about the judge, which was quickly disproven by video evidence. Jones also claimed that he was bankrupt and that he lawfully participated in the pre-trial process by providing the necessary evidence. Neither of these were found to be true, and Judge Gamble personally admonished Jones in court for his persistent lying - telling him that this wasn’t his show.

Jones’ Text Messages

One of the biggest - and the most head-scratching - revelations of the trial involved Alex Jones’ text messages. During the deposition, Jones claimed that none of his texts directly named or referenced Sandy Hook. But during the trial, Mark Bankston dropped a bombshell and revealed that he was in possession of a copy of Jones’ entire cell phone, including two years-worth of texts. It had been sent to him by Jones’ own lawyer, by accident. And when Jones’ legal team was informed of their mistake, they did nothing to rectify the situation. As a result, Bankston was able to prove that Jones’ phone did contain text messages directly relating to Sandy Hook, and that Jones had committed perjury by lying under oath.

The January 6 Committee

Alex Jones was directly involved in the events at the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C on January 6th, 2021. For one, Jones’ company helped fund a pro-Trump rally that day, in exchange for a “top speaking slot of his choice.” Jones was also vocal in undermining the validity of President Joe Biden’s election, calling him “a Communist Chinese agent” and inciting the crowd that day with prompts to “start marching.” Shortly after it was revealed that attorney Mark Bankston had two years of Jones’ text messages, the committee investigating the January 6th attack asked for a copy of the phone’s contents. While Jones said on his show that there’s nothing in his texts pertaining to the Capitol attack, and that he’s said more inflammatory things on-air, this could prove to be an integral piece of evidence for the committee.