It may be tempting to think of Alex Jones as simply a controversial on-air personality. After all, the professional conspiracy theorist hosts a program and maintains a high profile in broadcast and online media.
But when it comes to the investigation into Jan. 6, seeing Jones as just a media personality is a mistake — because his role was far broader. Indeed, according to the host himself, Jones was in communication with the Trump White House in the days leading up to the attack on the Capitol; he was in the so-called “war room” at the Willard Hotel the night before the insurrectionist violence; and he even helped organize a Jan. 6 event and encouraged his audience to attend.
As Rachel noted on the show last night, the Infowars host also has known ties to right-wing groups such as the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys, whose members were also allegedly involved in the Jan. 6 attack.
Naturally, the House select committee investigating the Capitol assault had some questions for Jones, but when he sat down with the panel in January, Jones claimed he asserted his Fifth Amendment rights nearly 100 times.
But congressional investigators aren’t the only ones interested in Jones’ unique perspective. The New York Times reported this week:
Alex Jones, the host of the conspiracy-driven media outlet Infowars and a key player in the pro-Trump “Stop the Steal” movement, is in discussions with the Justice Department about an agreement to detail his role in the rally near the White House last Jan. 6 that preceded the attack on the Capitol. Through his lawyer, Mr. Jones said he has given the government a formal letter conveying “his desire to speak to federal prosecutors about Jan. 6.”
The article went on to note that Jones has “requested immunity from prosecution” as “a condition of being interviewed by federal investigators.”
Part of what makes this interesting, of course, is that the media figure suddenly wants to cut a deal: He’s prepared to share what he knows if the Justice Department agrees not to charge him. (It remains unclear whether Jones might be charged with anything, or what kind of criminal allegation he’s even concerned about facing.)
But just as notable is the fact that the federal investigation exists in the first place and appears to be intensifying. Indeed, the Times’ report added, “The federal investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election appears to be gaining traction, with the Justice Department having brought in a well-regarded new prosecutor to help run the inquiry.”
The lawyer is Thomas Windom, a career federal prosecutor from Maryland, who has reportedly been “working with officials from the national security and criminal divisions at the Justice Department to determine whether and how to investigate potential criminal activity related to the Jan. 6 attack, other than what took place during the assault.”
As for Jones, this is not the only development of interest. Earlier this week, his Infowars operation filed for bankruptcy protection in the face of multiple lawsuits.
Politico reported yesterday that the Justice Department and attorneys for families of victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting are “questioning the legitimacy” of the bankruptcy claims.
Both the families and a Justice Department office asked a federal bankruptcy judge in Houston to put off an initial, emergency hearing scheduled for Friday morning to address Chapter 11 filings earlier this week…. The Justice Department’s Office of the U.S. Trustee told Judge Christopher Lopez the structure of Jones’ filing “may demonstrate these cases are an abuse of the bankruptcy system.” The government submission questioned why Jones had not filed for personal bankruptcy and why another business he controls, Free Speech Systems, was not included in the filings earlier this week.
Watch this space.
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