Drew Angerer/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Six families of victims killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School won a legal victory Friday in their fight against controversial radio and internet personality Alex Jones.
A judge in Connecticut has granted the families’ discovery requests, allowing them access to, among other things, InfoWars’ internal marketing and financial documents.
The judge has scheduled a hearing next week to decide whether to allow the plaintiffs’ attorneys to depose Jones.
The families sued Jones and InfoWars for defamation and accused him of perpetuating a “monstrous, unspeakable lie: that the Sandy Hook shooting was staged and that the families who lost loved ones that day are actors who faked their relatives’ deaths.”
Jones has sought to dismiss the lawsuit. “Plaintiffs suffered a horrible tragedy,” his defense attorney, Jay M. Wolman, wrote in a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. “Alex Jones and InfoWars are not responsible for this tragedy. To punish them for First Amendment protected speech on this matter of public concern will not bring back the lives lost.”
Jones’ lawyer did not immediately respond to ABC News’ requests for comment.
The judge’s ruling on discovery gives the plaintiffs access to any communication Jones had about the Newtown massacre and to documents that could point to the inner workings of InfoWars.
The plaintiffs — families of four children and two educators killed in the December 2012 shooting — have said the “deeply painful” lies they’ve accused Jones of pushing have caused them to endure “malicious and cruel abuse” as well as harassment and death threats on social media.
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