38. In January of 2016, Florida resident Lucy Richards left threatening voicemail messages and sent violent emails to Leonard Pozner, a fellow Sandy Hook parent and personal friend of Plaintiff Neil Heslin. The threats included messages
23
https://www.mediamatters.org/embed/c...50707-shooting 24
https://www.infowars.com/mega-massiv...es-sandy-hook/
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stating: “you gonna die, death is coming to you real soon” and “LOOK BEHIND YOU IT IS DEATH.”25 When Richards was later sentenced, Senior U.S. District Judge James Cohn stated: “I'm sure [Leonard Pozner] wishes this was false, and he could embrace [N.P.], hear [N.P.’s] heartbeat and hear [N.P.] say ‘I love you, Dad’...Your words were cruel and insensitive. This is reality and there is no fiction. There are no alternative facts.”26 As part of her sentence, Ms. Richards will not be permitted to access a list of conspiracy-based websites upon her release, including InfoWars.27 Ms. Richard’s arrest and sentencing are an ominous reminder to the Plaintiff of the danger posed by InfoWars’ continuing lies about Sandy Hook.
39. In November 2016, Mr. Jones appeared on InfoWars and ranted about false Sandy Hook claims for twenty minutes.28
40. During the November 2016 video broadcast, Mr. Jones stated: “That shows some kind of cover-up happening. And then I saw Anderson Cooper -- I’ve been in TV for twenty-something years, I know a blue-screen or a green-screen -- turn and his nose disappeared. Then I saw clearly that they were using footage on the green-screen looped, because it would show flowers and other things during other broadcasts that were moving, and then basically cutting to the same piece of
25
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...against-sandy- hook-parent-n693396
26
Page Not Found 1.3229754
27
https://www.buzzfeed.com/claudiakoer...-threatening-a 28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwudDfz1yAk
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footage...Then we see footage of one of the reported fathers of the victims, Robbie Parker, doing classic acting training.”29
41. The gist of these statements was that the Sandy Hook parents, including Plaintiff Neil Heslin, are participating in a sinister manipulation plan to fool the public.
42. During the November 2016 broadcast, Jones played video footage of Anderson Cooper interviewing Sandy Hook parent Veronique De La Rosa, at which point Jones stated: “We point out clear chromakey, also known as blue-screen or greenscreen being used, and we’re demonized. We point out that they’re clearly doing fake interviews.”30 This false statement was likewise used to support Mr. Jones’ vicious lie.
43. Towards the end of the November 2016 broadcast, Mr. Jones stated: “Why should anybody fear an investigation? If they have nothing to hide? In fact, isn’t that in Shakespeare’s Hamlet? Methinks you protest too much...This particular case, they are so scared of investigation. Everything they do ends up blowing up in their face, so guys are going to get what you want now. I’m going to start re- investigating Sandy Hook and everything else that happened with it.”31
44. Mr. Jones concluded the video by stating: “So, if children were lost at Sandy Hook, my heart goes out to each and every one of those parents. And the people who say they’re parents that I see on the news. The only problem is, I’ve
29 Id. 30 Id. 31 Id.
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watched a lot of soap operas. And I’ve seen actors before. And I know when I’m watching a movie and when I’m watching something real.”32
45. The November 2016 video broadcast was entitled, “Alex Jones Final Statement on Sandy Hook.” It was Plaintiff’s hope that the title was accurate, and that Mr. Jones would finally end his reckless attacks on the Sandy Hook parents and his assertions that they were liars and actors engaged in a fraud on the American people.
46. As horrifying as the November 2016 broadcast was, its promise of being the “Final Statement” gave hope to Plaintiff that his harassment and defamation by Mr. Jones might be coming to an end after four long years.
47. Those hopes were soon dashed. Instead, InfoWars made continuing defamatory comments in 2017 as outlined above.
48. Mr. Jones also made additional comments in April of 2017 which repeated the claims which form the rickety structure of Mr. Jones’ colossal lie about Sandy Hook, including the allegation that fellow Sandy Hook parent Veronique De La Rosa conducted a fake interview with Anderson Cooper to hide the truth, while telling his viewers not to “believe any of it.”33
32 Id.
33
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUn1jKhWTXI
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49. On June 18, 2017, Mr. Jones made additional comments when interviewed by Megyn Kelly, during which he stated: “I do think there's some cover- up and some manipulation.”34 The following exchange took place:
MEGYN KELLY: But Alex, the parents, one after the other, devastated. The dead bodies that the coroner autopsied ...
ALEX JONES: And they blocked all that. And they won't release any of it. That's unprecedented.35