Advertisement
Tech

Alex Jones’ legal team accidentally sent Sandy Hook parents his phone records—including texts he claimed didn’t exist

Jones looked stunned by the news.

Photo of Claire Goforth

Claire Goforth

alex jones

Sandy Hook families dropped a bombshell in their case against Alex Jones on Wednesday. Jones’ lawyers inadvertently sent the opposing counsel the entire contents of Jones’ cell phone and his financial records. Jones reportedly didn’t provide those records during discovery as requested. The records directly contradict claims Jones has made about his messaging history and finances.

Featured Video

Families of the victims of the Sandy Hook mass school shooting have sued conspiracy theorist Jones for defamation over his false claims, largely made on InfoWars, that the massacre was a hoax. Jones has been found liable in several suits brought by families of the 20 children and six adults killed in the shooting, whom he falsely accused of being crisis actors.

Jones has tried various strategies to avoid liability, including claiming a form of psychosis caused him to lie about the shooting. More recently, he’s cried poor and attempted to file bankruptcy, thus subverting defendants’ ability to collect damages and possibly avoiding additional defamation suits. The current case is to determine how much in damages he owes some he defamed.

On Wednesday, Sandy Hook parents’ lawyer Mark Bankston revealed that they have Jones’ phone and financial records.

Advertisement

“Twelve days ago your attorneys messed up and sent an entire digital copy of your entire cell phone with every text message you’ve sent for the past two years and when informed did not take any steps to identify it as privileged or protected in any way,” Bankston said.

“And as of two days ago, it fell free and clear into my possession and that is how I know you lied to me when you said you didn’t have text messages about Sandy Hook.”

Jones tried to claim that he’d willingly handed over the records although he’d just said he didn’t know how the lawyers got it. “See. I told you the truth. This is your Perry Mason moment. I gave them my phone,” Jones said.

Advertisement

Bankston wasn’t buying it.

“You said in your deposition you searched your phone,” he said.

Jones continued insisting that he wasn’t hiding anything. Bankston pointed out that Jones said under oath during deposition that he’d claimed not to have any texts about Sandy Hook on his phone.

“I was mistaken. I was mistaken,” Jones said.

Advertisement

Bankston replied, “You know what perjury is, right?”

The records also contradict Jones’ claims about his finances.

He’s filed for bankruptcy and said during this proceeding that anything over a $2 million judgment would “sink” him.

Yesterday, the New York Times reported that Jones claimed he made more than $50 million annually selling various supplements and merchandise.

Advertisement

These records his lawyers inadvertently sent the defense reveal that Jones has likely made far more money than previously known.

According to these records, he was raking in upwards of $800,000 a day at times in 2018.

When the court went into recess, Bankston was reportedly heard saying on a hot mic, “You know what nobody’s thought about yet? What happens when that phone goes to law enforcement?”

Advertisement

Read more of the Daily Dot’s tech and politics coverage

Nevada’s GOP secretary of state candidate follows QAnon, neo-Nazi accounts on Gab, Telegram
Court filing in Bored Apes lawsuit revives claims founders built NFT empire on Nazi ideology
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Say hi to the Donald for us’: Florida police briefed armed right-wing group before they went to Jan. 6 protest
Inside the Proud Boys’ ties to ghost gun sales
‘Judas’: Gab users are furious its founder handed over data to the FBI without a subpoena
EXCLUSIVE: Anti-vax dating site that let people advertise ‘mRNA FREE’ semen left all its user data exposed
Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.
 
The Daily Dot