Alex Jones accused of destroying evidence in Sandy Hook defamation case
Conspiracy theorist and Infowars founder Alex Jones has intentionally destroyed evidence relevant to a defamation lawsuit filed against him by families of Sandy Hook shooting victims, according to a motion filed Friday.
Jones directed his staffers earlier this week to delete content from Infowars' Twitter account after news outlets flagged material that violated the social media site's policies _ but relatives of nine Sandy Hook victims who are suing the notorious conspiracy theorist said the deleted material constituted evidence in their legal challenge.
"As pressure mounted from pending defamation lawsuits and growing public indignation, Mr. Jones chose to destroy evidence of his actual malice and defamatory conduct," states the motion, which was filed in a Texas court and first flagged by The New York Times. "Infowars deleted critical evidence at the precise moment plaintiff and his experts were attempting to marshal that evidence."
The families filed suit against Jones and his website for intentionally spreading false claims that the horrific 2012 shooting at the Newton, Conn., elementary school was a government-backed hoax to strip Americans of their gun rights. Jones and his staffers have also peddled thoroughly debunked theories that the family members of the 26 victims are actors.
YouTube, Facebook, Apple and other services have purged their platforms of Jones' content this month, citing violations of policies on hate speech and child endangerment.
_New York Daily News
