Judge says Alex Jones can't worm his way out of paying $1 billion to Sandy Hook families

A judge ruled on Friday that far-right conspiracy theorist webcaster Alex Jones cannot use bankruptcy protection to avoid paying out over $1.1 billion in damages to the families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims, ABC News reported.

Jones, who runs the InfoWars program, spent years claiming that the Newtown, Connecticut elementary school shooting was staged with child actors, inciting his supporters to hound and harass bereaved parents. They ultimately brought lawsuits against him in multiple jurisdictions, and won massive damages awards.

Last year, Houston bankruptcy judge Christopher López ended a stay that prohibited the Sandy Hook families from collecting a judgment. This week, he followed up with a ruling clarifying bankruptcy protections cannot apply to the judgment.

POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office?

“The families are pleased with the Court’s ruling that Jones’s malicious conduct will find no safe harbor in the bankruptcy court," said Connecticut-based lawyer Christopher Mattei, who represents the families. “As a result, Jones will continue to be accountable for his actions into the future regardless of his claimed bankruptcy.”

Jones, however, has told his viewers that he is financially judgment-proof and he will continue to appeal the decision.

“It’s all academic. I don’t have a million dollars,” said Jones. “My company has a few million, but that’s just to pay the bills and my product in the future. So we are literally on empty. So this idea that ... we’re going to take your money away doesn’t exist because the money doesn’t exist. It’s all political. At the end of the day, they won’t take my free speech away,” he said. “I’m still going to be on the air one way or another.”