Members of Alex Jones’s legal team “messed up” and sent over a file believed to contain all of the Infowars host’s text messages going back two years, a Sandy Hook lawyer revealed Wednesday.
Lawyer Mark Bankston, who is representing the parents of victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting, said the file proves Jones lied when he said during discovery that he searched his phone for communications mentioning Sandy Hook and did not find relevant material for the trial.
HERE’S WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT ALEX JONES’S DEFAMATION TRIAL BROUGHT BY SANDY HOOK PARENTS
“Did you know that 12 days ago, 12 days ago, your attorneys messed up and sent me an entire digital copy of your entire cellphone with every text message you’ve sent for the past two years, and when informed, did not take any steps to identify it as privileged or protected in any way?” Bankston said. “That is how I know you lied to me when you said you didn’t have text messages about Sandy Hook.”
“See, I told you the truth. This is your Perry Mason moment. I gave them my phone,” Jones shot back.
“You know what perjury is?” Bankston later taunted him.
“Do you know what perjury is?” pic.twitter.com/awbBpVf4Tl
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 3, 2022
The Infowars host tried to argue that his representatives searched his phone and that his lawyers sent it to Bankston, but Bankston noted that Jones claimed in discovery that he searched his phone and did not find relevant text messages. The judge later instructed the jury the material had apparently not been properly turned over to the court.
“If I was mistaken, I was mistaken, but you’ve got the messages right there,” Jones added. “I’m not a tech guy. I told you I gave, in my testimony, the phone to the lawyers before or whatever, and so you got my phone, but we didn’t give it to you.”
Jones is on trial as part of a defamation lawsuit from parents of the Sandy Hook shooting, in which 26 people were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. The parents are arguing that Jones peddled conspiracy theories that the massacre was a hoax and are hoping for $150 million in compensation for their distress.
The Infowars host has been adamant that he was exercising his First Amendment rights. During the trial on Wednesday, Jones conceded that he now believes the massacre was “100% real” and said it was irresponsible of him to declare the shooting rampage a hoax.
“It was … especially since I’ve met the parents. It’s 100% real,” Jones testified.
Throughout the trial, which is taking place in the Travis County Courthouse, Judge Maya Guerra Gamble has repeatedly reminded Jones that he is under oath.
JUDGE TO ALEX JONES: “You believe everything you say is true, but IT ISN’T — that’s what we’re doing here… you’ve already violated your oath twice.”
His Sandy Hook defamation trial does not seem to be going well for him. pic.twitter.com/pYaIB3YYxY
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) August 3, 2022
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Plaintiffs in the case have stressed that an apology from Jones would not be sufficient and are demanding a massive payout from him instead for spreading false information about the massacre.
Jones is expected to deliver more testimony Wednesday, which could be followed by closing arguments.
