The House select committee investigating attack on U.S. Capitol Building, January 6, 2021 has asked Mark Bankston, a lawyer representing Sandy Hook parents, to turn over text messages and other data from Alex Jones, right-wing conspiracy theorist.
On Thursday Bankston revealed that the committee has contacted him regarding the messageshe had received during Jones’s defamation case brought against Jones by the parents and relatives of Sandy Hook victims. The request for data has not yet been announced by the committee.
Jones was found guiltydefaming Sandy Hook parents late last year. Jones had been lying for years to Infowars fans, claiming that the parents were paid actors, their children were never injured in the attack and that the shooting was a hoax.
Jones testified Wednesday during the phase of the trial that aimed to determine his responsibilities to Sandy Hook families. Bankston, representing two Sandy Hook parents. pointed out in his cross-examination that Jones had lied in a deposition to the courtConcerning not having any communications via his cell phone concerning the parents
Bankston said that he knew Jones had lied because a digital copy of all the data from Jones’s phone had been sent to him by Jones’s own lawyers, apparently by accident.
“Mr. Jones, did you know that 12 days ago, your attorneys messed up and sent me an entire digital copy of your entire cell phone with every text message you’ve sent for the past two years?” Bankston asked.
After Jones’s lawyers accidentally sent him the data, Bankston had responded by asking whether or not any of the data was privileged. When Jones’s lawyers failed to answer, the communications of the far right conspiracy theorist became admissible in the trial.
Attorney Mark Bankston spoke #AlexJonesJones’ entire phone history was sent to him by his attorney because he had messed with it. “Did you realize that your lawyers messed with me and sent my entire cell phone history 12 days ago?” Bankston asked. Bankston asked. pic.twitter.com/IfIiP5UTIg
— Law&Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) August 3, 2022
“You know what perjury is, right?” Bankston asked, informing Jones that he had been caught in a lie.
Jones tried to blame his counsel, but the texts were on Jones’ cell phone. The New York Times reported that he appeared “visibly uncomfortable” during the examination, with “sweat running into his eyes and down his neck.”
The January 6 committee has a vested interest in Jones’s communications over the past two years because the InfoWars host was involved in much of the lead-up to the January 6 Capitol attack. Jones parroted former President Donald Trump’s false claimsJones claimed that the 2020 election was stolen and asked his audience to protest the peaceful transfer to President Joe Biden. Jones is also closely connected to Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers – a far right extremist group which played a key role in the attack.
Previous texts between Jones and Oath Keepers revealed that the group was indeed united. had discussed the possibility of providing him with security inWashington D.C. on that day.
Jones sat for a deposition with the January 6 committee last year after receiving a subpoena order, but utilized his Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination “almost 100 times,” according to his own account.
Although it’s currently unknown why the committee has requested Jones’s phone data, it’s possible that they want to revisit the evidence he previously presented them with.
