According to multiple news outlets, a Connecticut judge ordered Alex Jones and his company to pay $473 million in damages for spreading conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

Alex Jones

Alex Jones was ordered to pay $473 million for defamation.

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Jones made a false claim that the 2012 massacre was a hoax.

The attorneys fees and violations of Connecticut's Unfair Trade Practices Act are included in the award.

A jury in Connecticut ordered Jones to pay nearly $1 billion in damages for defamation.

The Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act allows for fines of up to $5,000 for each alleged violation.

The attorney for Jones argued against the suggestion and said the $1 billion in damages already awarded were justification for minimal damages.

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Jones said on his show that he was laughing at the decision and that it would be like getting a billion dollars in the mail. We have you. It's all for psychological effects.

Chris Mattei, an attorney, applauded the ruling and said it would reinforce the message that those who profit from lies will be held accountable.

Surprising Fact

Bellis froze Jones' assets because he was moving his estate into shell companies. In July, Free Speech Systems filed for protection from their debts and assets.

Big Number

$260 million. That is the estimated net worth of Jones and Free Speech Systems according to a forensic economist who testified in a Texas defamation trial in August.

Key Background

The legal battle between the families of the eight people killed in the shooting in Connecticut and Jones has resulted in additional damages. Family members and an FBI agent who responded to the scene have been harassed because of Jone's conspiracy theories. Jones was found liable for defamation by default last year after he refused to cooperate with the discovery process, so jurors in Connecticut were tasked only with deciding how much Jones should pay in damages to victims' families.

Alex Jones could face even more fines as the Defamation trial continues.

Alex Jones faces over $1 billion in damages for spreading Sandy Hook conspiracy theories, and a judge has frozen his assets.

Alex Jones was ordered to pay $473 million in damages in a defamation case.