InfoWars host Alex Jones is seeking to get a defamation case against him, brought by the parents of a Sandy Hook victim, thrown out of court. He also wants them to pay him more than $100,000 toward his legal costs.
The lawsuit, filed by Leonard Pozner and Veronique De La Rosa, alleges that De La Rosa was falsely accused of taking part in a bogus interview in a 2017 InfoWars report. InfoWars has fueled a conspiracy theory that the Sandy Hook shooting was a “false flag” to build up opposition to guns. Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza killed 20 children and six adults in the December 2012 attack.
According to The New York Times, Jones argued the Pozner case should be dismissed under the Texas Citizens Participation Act, which protects citizens’ right to free speech against those who try to silence them through costly litigation. And since he argued the case should be thrown out, he said feels entitled to payment toward his legal costs from the family of the victim. He is asking for more than $100,000, the Times reported.
InfoWars did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
The Pozner case isn’t the only defamation suit the InfoWars host is facing.
In the same courthouse, Jones faces a separate defamation case from Marcel Fontaine, who InfoWars falsely identified as the gunman at the Parkland, Florida school shooting in February. Jones has faced legal threats in the past, both from yogurt maker Chobani and “Pizzagate” pizzeria Comet Ping Pong, resulting in on-air apologies.
Last week, Facebook suspended Jones for 30 days for violating the social network’s policy against bullying and hate speech. YouTube also removed four videos from InfoWars, issuing the channel a “strike.” Three strikes in a 90 day period can lead to a permanent termination from YouTube, according to website rules.