The losing bidder in last week’s bankruptcy auction for conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ assets, including his infamous Infowars website, filed an emergency motion on Monday morning to disqualify The Onion’s winning bid.

      • Justin@lemmy.jlh.name
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        40
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        4 days ago

        Wasn’t that company owned by his parents or something? I think John Oliver or somebody did a story on all the shell companies he’s been embezzling money into to scam the sandy hook victims.

        • formergijoe@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          20
          ·
          4 days ago

          They went over this in the latest knowledge fight and it appears to be owned by one Chase Brandon Geiser, an employee of Alex’s.

        • mkwt@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          8
          ·
          4 days ago

          Surely, bankruptcy courts must be familiar with the tactic of “using shell companies to buy your own stuff back at bankruptcy auction for pennies on the dollar.”

      • AbidanYre@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        25
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        4 days ago

        First United American Companies sounds like a totally legit company. What are you talking about?

        /s

    • HobbitFoot
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      27
      ·
      4 days ago

      They were supposed to buy InfoWars to keep Alex Jones on air. Obvious satirists The Onion weren’t supposed to be the winning bid.

    • unalivejoy@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      4 days ago

      Not to play Devil’s advocate, but didn’t the onion basically pay with an IOU?

      • Fermion@feddit.nl
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        20
        ·
        4 days ago

        Not quite. Although the “losing bid” here was of a higher payment amount. However, the trustee chose the onion bid because the families who are owed assets out of the settlement were willing to forgo some of the payments they are owed to back the onion bid. That would lead to more being paid back to Jone’s creditors than with the straight cash bid.

        So it is a bit of a unique situation and the court is right to verify that the trustee made the right call. Ultimately the onion bid should be the winner since bankruptcy proceedings should prioritize paying creditors.