Judge Halts Infowars Sale to The Onion Amid Auction Disputes

A U.S. bankruptcy judge thwarted The Onion's attempt to purchase Alex Jones' Infowars, citing errors in auction proceedings. The auction involved a bid controversy between The Onion and a Jones-affiliated company. The judge ordered further dispute resolution before any new sale attempts will be made.

A U.S. bankruptcy judge has halted a bid by parody news site The Onion to acquire conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars website. The ruling came after a bankruptcy auction failed to secure the best bids.

Judge Christopher Lopez rejected Jones' claims of 'collusion' in the auction process but identified a 'good-faith error' by the trustee in rushing the final offers. He insisted the process should be reopened for competitive bidding to potentially yield higher offers.

The Onion emerged as the winning bidder for Infowars in a previous auction, but concerns were raised over the credibility of its bid. Jones has filed for bankruptcy to pay massive legal settlements to Sandy Hook families, adding complexity to the sale process.

(With inputs from agencies.)