A federal judge on Monday stripped InfoWars founder Alex Jones of bankruptcy protections after he was ordered to pay $1.5 billion to the families of Sandy Hook victims, The Associated Press reports.
Texas bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez lifted an automatic stay that went into effect when Jones filed for bankruptcy.
The order prevented families of victims from pursuing collection efforts.
A Connecticut jury in October ordered Jones, who called the shooting a hoax, to pay $965 million in compensatory damages and a judge later tacked on another $473 million in punitive damages.
Another jury in Texas awarded the family of a child killed in the shooting $49 million in damages.
Jones seeks $1.3M salary:
Jones, who has laughed at the size of the judgments, has vowed not to pay.
Jones’ company, Free Speech Systems, also filed for bankruptcy in July.
Jones’ attorneys filed a motion asking for Jones to continue receiving the $1.3 million salary listed in his contract with the company.
Lopez said he would decide the issue next month.
New lawsuit:
Jones is facing a lawsuit from the Sandy Hook plaintiffs accusing him of illegally funneling money to other entities controlled by him, his family or his associates to avoid paying the damages.
Free Speech Systems signed IOUs for $55 million to cover what it said were past debts to a company called PQPR Holdings, which is controlled by him and his parents.
The company then claimed it had $79 million in liabilities. Sandy Hook attorneys alleged that Jones’ lawyers in the middle of the lawsuit “started documenting debts that had no evidence of existing beforehand.”
