Alex Jones Accused of Threatening Lawyer for Sandy Hook Families After Child Porn Found in Discovery Materials
Jones denies making any threats and says he is being framed
Ross A. Lincoln | June 17, 2019 @ 8:53 PM
Last Updated: June 17, 2019 @ 9:18 PM
Drew Angerer / Getty Images
In court papers filed Monday, attorneys representing Sandy Hook families in their lawsuit against him said that child pornography was identified in discovery materials provided by Jones. The filing also accuses Jones of threatening one of the attorneys.
Jones has adamantly denied any knowledge of the pornographic materials, and says that unnamed individuals are trying to frame him. He has also denied making any threats.
In the filing, the families’ attorneys said that consultants recently “identified an image that appeared to be child pornography” in metadata turned over by Jones on May 21. The attorneys said they immediately contacted the FBI and turned over all the related metadata. The FBI subsequently said it identified several other instances of child pornography “which had apparently been sent to Infowars email addresses.”
The filing came in response to the June 14 episode of Jones’ self-titled internet show, during which Jones said the FBI informed him there is no evidence he had any knowledge of the images, and accused unidentified persons of “trying to set me up with child porn.”
In the video, Jones also called out Chris Mattei, one of the lawyers representing the Sandy Hook families, by name.
The court filing characterizes Jones’ comments as a threat, but Jones’ lawyer, Norm Pattis, said in a separate filing Monday that during the June 16 episode of his show, Jones apologized to Mattei, and said, “I’m not saying that the lawyers for the Sandy Hook families set me up or did this.”
The family attorneys say they “intend to move to seek specific relief on an expedited basis,” and are requesting that the presiding judge review the video “at the earliest possible moment.” The matter will be addressed during a previously scheduled hearing on Tuesday.
Attorneys representing the Sandy Hook families did not immediately respond to a request for further comment. Jones’ representatives also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
11 Hollywood Stars in the NRA: From Chuck Norris to James Earl Jones (Photos)
The National Rifle Association has stood up for gun owners for years, but come under heavy criticism for opposing gun control after mass shootings from San Bernardino to Orlando. Some celebrity members of the group have stood by it, while others have distanced themselves from certain stances.
Arguably the most famous Hollywood star associated with the NRA was Charlton Heston, who served as its president from 1998 to 2003 before stepping down after an Alzheimers diagnosis. (He died in April 2008.)
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Rock musician Ted Nugent is one of the NRA's most outspoken members. In January 2015, on the organization's radio show, he called NRA opponents "subhuman mongrels" and "some kind of inbred Martian."
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NBA Hall of Famer Karl Malone is an avid hunter and has served on the NRA Board. But he angered some gun owners when he spoke to Sports Illustrated about those who buy guns for their protection: "The big picture is that guns won't protect you. If someone really wanted to get you, they would."
"Walker, Texas Ranger" star Chuck Norris has a long history as an avid NRA spokesperson, creating videos supporting the Second Amendment and NRA initiatives including the "Trigger The Vote" campaign.
Actor Tom Selleck got into a heated debate with Rosie O'Donnell in 1999 when she questioned him about being a member of the NRA. In 2013, shortly after the Sandy Hook school shootings, MSNBC pundit Lawrence O'Donnell said that it was time to "question Selleck's humanity" after the actor's silence on the matter.
In 2014, an online petition circulated demanding the Glastonbury music festival remove Metallica from the schedule because its frontman, James Hetfield, is an NRA member with a history of hunting. Hetfield narrated the History Channel series "The Hunt," about a trek to Kodiak, Alaska, to kill brown bears. When it comes to gun control, however, Hetfield said in 2013: "I don’t want to make it easier for someone to have an assault weapon, but I also want to be able to protect my family."
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In 2012, Whoopi Goldberg revealed on "The View" that she is a member of the NRA during an interview with libertarian writer and TV pundit John Stossel. "I don’t mind having to register and let them know that I have them," Goldberg said. "I want to know that there’s at least some way to prevent folks who are just getting out from mental institutions [from getting guns].”
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James Earl Jones wrote about being a NRA member in his 1993 self-titled autobiography: "I just throw the political mail from the NRA into the trash ... When it comes to the right-wing politics of the NRA, I don’t get into that. I just believe in my right to have a gun in my house.”
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After the Sandy Hook school shootings in December 2012, West Coast Choppers founder Jesse James wrote a Facebook post supporting the NRA and objecting to gun control laws in some states. "People that should not have guns will still find a way to get them. Please join the NRA now," he wrote.
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Country singer Miranda Lambert is a lifetime NRA member and an outspoken gun rights advocate. At the 2016 American Country Music awards, she showed up on the red carpet sporting pink stilettos with a tiny gun and holster strapped to the front.
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In a 2002 interview with The Guardian, director Michael Moore talked about how he got a NRA lifetime membership as part of a stunt for his documentary, "Bowling For Columbine." He mentioned he had planned to run against Charlton Heston for the group's presidency, but gave up on the plan. The NRA president is voted on by board members, rather than the entire organization.
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Some famous members are strongly against gun control, while others have distanced themselves from the group’s most extreme stances
The National Rifle Association has stood up for gun owners for years, but come under heavy criticism for opposing gun control after mass shootings from San Bernardino to Orlando. Some celebrity members of the group have stood by it, while others have distanced themselves from certain stances.