DOJ official questions retired FBI agent's role in $1.4B Sandy Hook lawsuit

A senior U.S. Justice Department official has questioned the role of a retired FBI agent in the defamation lawsuit that produced a $1.4 billion judgment against Alex Jones. The questions were raised in a Sept. 15 letter from Ed Martin Jr., who leads the department's weaponization working group, to Christopher Mattei, the lawyer for relatives of Sandy Hook victims.

The letter asks whether William Aldenberg, a former FBI agent who testified as a plaintiff and helped organize the lawsuit, received any financial benefits from his involvement. Aldenberg was among the law enforcement officers who responded to the 2012 mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., and he has said he was subjected to threats tied to conspiracy theories claiming the attack was staged. The judgment against Jones totals about $1.4 billion, and Aldenberg's share is roughly $120 million.

Mattei responded to the letter, telling the Associated Press that the Sandy Hook families fought to hold Jones accountable and that Infowars will be finished. Jones posted a copy of the letter on his X account and argued that the Justice Department is weaponized against him. Jones has appealed the $1.4 billion verdict to the Supreme Court, and is pursuing a separate $49 million judgment in Texas. He filed for bankruptcy in late 2022.

The letter and its timing come as Martin has been expanding the Justice Department's public-facing probe into perceived government bias against conservatives. Martin has been head of the weaponization working group since his nomination for U.S. attorney in Washington was withdrawn amid concerns about his background and advocacy for January 6 rioters. The group was created by Attorney General Pam Bondi to scrutinize cases where conservatives are said to have been unfairly targeted. In recent weeks Martin also was named a special prosecutor in separate mortgage-fraud investigations of Letitia James and Adam Schiff.

The Sandy Hook plaintiffs continue to seek liquidations of Infowars' assets in state court in Texas, as they press to recover funds to satisfy the judgment. The legal action has been followed closely as Jones and his platform have faced ongoing sanctions and appeals.