Alex Jones asked viewers for donations as nearly $1B verdict in Sandy Hook trial came down

As Alex Jones was being ordered to pay nearly $1 billion for dismissing the Sandy Hook mass shooting as a hoax, the right-wing conspiracy theorist urged his viewers to send him donations.

Jones claimed to be “almost out of money” in a live-streamed video during Wednesday’s reading of the $965 million verdict, according to the Independent.

“Remember, I’m in bankruptcy,” Jones said. “We got two years of appeals. The money you donate does not go to these people. It goes to fight this fraud, and it goes to stabilize the company. They want us shut down.”

Jones, who runs the InfoWars website, was sued for defamation by eight families of victims killed in the 2012 elementary-school shooting, and by an FBI agent who responded to the scene.

Family members of the victims claimed they were harassed by viewers of Jones’ show after the host perpetuated a lie that the shooting was a hoax.

The massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut left 26 people dead, including 20 children, making it the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history.

[ Alex Jones must pay $965 million to Sandy Hook families in defamation case, jury rules ]

Jones, 48, is believed to be worth at least $135 million, according to the Independent, while an economist said the number could be as high as $270 million during a testimony in Texas. Jones on Wednesday asked his viewers to buy supplements from his website, in addition to calling for donations, the Independent reported.

The largest portion of Wednesday’s verdict is $120 million that jurors say should go to Robbie Parker, whose 6-year-old daughter, Emilie, was among the victims killed in the shooting.

Parker said after the verdict reading that “what we were able to accomplish was just to simply tell the truth.”

Jones was previously ordered to pay $50 million to another Sandy Hook victim’s family in a Texas trial earlier this year.

With News Wire Services