Alex Jones accused of perjury after Sandy Hook parents' lawyer obtains his texts
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones joins thousands of gun rights advocates at a rally organized by The Virginia Citizens Defense League on Jan. 20, 2020 in Richmond, Virginia. Photo: Win McNamee via Getty Images
The lawyer representing Sandy Hook parents in Alex Jones' damages trial said Wednesday that Jones' lawyer sent him years' worth of texts and emails from Jones' phone.
Why it matters: Jones, who has repeatedly lied that the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax, has already been found liable in defamation cases brought by families of the victims.
- The Texas jury in the damages trial will determine how much Jones owes victims' parents after publicly making false claims.
What they're saying: "12 days ago, your attorneys messed up and sent me an entire digital copy of your entire cell phone with every text message you've sent for the past two years ... and that is how I know you lied to me when you said you didn't have text messages about Sandy Hook," said Mark Bankston, the attorney for Sandy Hook victims' families, Wednesday in court.
- "You know what perjury is, right?" he said. "You testified under oath previously that you personally searched your phone for the phrase 'Sandy Hook' and there were no messages."
- "We asked for all emails and you told us [under oath] you don't use email and there are no emails about Sandy Hook," Bankston continued. Jones responded by saying he quit using email before Sandy Hook.
- "There are emails that you've sent to your lawyers, your staff and others concerning your business operations that we requested for, Sandy Hook, other topics that have been requested in this lawsuit," Bankston said after showing Jones a document with his email address.
Worth noting: Judge Maya Guerra Gamble of the Travis County District Court, who is presiding over the case, told jurors the contents of Jones' phone were not "properly turned over when it should have been."