Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones backs off Pizzagate claims

[UpInArms]

Source: Washington Post

Alex Jones, the conspiracy-loving media personality, apologized Friday for his role in promoting “Pizzagate,” the baseless viral story that a Washington pizza restaurant was the locale of a child sex-abuse ring run by Hillary Clinton and her campaign chairman, John Podesta.

In a surprising and rare bit of backtracking, Jones posted a six-minute video on his website, “InfoWars,” in which he read a prepared statement formally distancing himself and his site from what became a textbook story of fake news run amok. He addressed his apology to James Alefantis, the owner of Comet Ping Pong, the restaurant that was the supposed locale of the alleged conspiracy last year.

“I made comments about Mr. Alefantis that in hindsight I regret, and for which I apologize to him,” Jones said. “We relied on third-party accounts of alleged activities and conduct at the restaurant. We also relied on accounts of [two] reporters who are no longer with us.”

<snip>

Jones, a staunch supporter of Donald Trump during the presidential campaign, offered no comment or apology to Clinton or Podesta for outlandish statements about their alleged involvement in the abuse of hundreds of children

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/conspiracy-theorist-alex-jones-backs-off-pizzagate-claims/2017/03/24/6f0246fe-10cd-11e7-ab07-07d9f521f6b5_story.html

[sakabatou]

1. Too late, asshole!

[Hortensis]

29. No, not too late to serve himself, of course, or he

wouldn't have done it.

He's probably just massaging his followers. His credibility with them may have been shaken a bit, so he indulges in a quick verbal version of a politician's 2-week spiritual counseling and rebirth after being caught doing something unseemly in a bathroom stall.

[AJT]

2. Pizza parlor threaten to sue?

[BigOleDummy]

10. Think you've got it

The piece of crap is scared is all. Afraid of being sued for his role in this FOR REAL conspiracy that he was a part of to steal the election for the orange sh*tgibbon.

What amazed me then and continues to amaze me is that ANYONE, even the brain dead diehard tRumpsters, could seriously believe this.SMH

[Midnight Writer]

12. That puzzles me. Why hasn't pizza place sued? Surely this is actionable.

Start with false, malicious, reckless, damaging.

This is not a product review Alex Jones threw out to his national audience.

This is accusations of murder, pedophilia, treason, chris'sake. The worst crimes you can imagine.

Trump would sue him in a heartbeat.

[cstanleytech]

26. If they are suing him I hope they win and take him to the cleaners

and I hope on appeal the court laughs at him and tosses him out on his ass.

[Dustlawyer]

36. My guess is his statement was part of a confidential settlement.

[AwakeAtLast]

41. They should get every dime he has

If it takes out InfoWars....oh well.

[George II]

3. No need to continue with the smear, they won the election for trump. Not reversible.

[Upthevibe]

6. I agree. Not reversible. Too late you sick, sick F.........., Alex Jones..... n/t

[SunSeeker]

5. Too little, too late. nt

[kimbutgar]

7. I wonder if he was called to be a witness in the pizza attack in court in DC with the Hillary lie

[geomon666]

8. That fat worm needs to back off of pizza, period.

He wants to apologize now? Fuck you.

[dalton99a]

9. Scumbag is probably following his lawyer's advice

[BigOleDummy]

11. Exactly!

Without a doubt.

[mountain grammy]

13. and I hope all his stupid batshit crazy followers

get all upset and commit mass suicide, including their fearless leader, djt.

[Yavin4]

14. Most of the time when you see the phrase, "prepared statement", that means that a lawyer

prepared it for publication in relation to either an impending or current lawsuit.

[JurisGal]

15. "In a surprising and rare bit of backtracking"

Not surprised considering the news of investigations of this site and other, similar sites.
Also not surprised that Trump isn't lashing out at those who 'failed' him on the ACA repeal. Trump knows he needs them right now.

[jiminvegas]

16. He's trying to keep from being in a lawsuit

it's as simple as that.

[Archae]

17. Like I said about Jones, he's not as crazy as he sounds.

He is only pandering TO the crazies, making tons of money that way.

[Dopers_Greed]

20. This

Why do you think he hawks all those Info Wars branded supplements

[TeamPooka]

18. The guy who shot up the pizza place pled guilty this week. Alex is playing CYA because

his lawyers told him he's next.

[mopinko]

39. this

[TeamPooka]

42. Prosecutors will have this guy testify that Alex Jones told him this and that's why he went there.

Conspiracy to, inciting etc...fill in the many blanks.
Jones might be going to jail.
yay

[mopinko]

43. or at least too risky for anyone to give him any air.

[7wo7rees]

19. Alex Jones is an unmitigated, blovionating disaster.

Worse than Limbaugh, worse than Glenn Beck, etc, etc.

There is not enough bad I can say for how awful he and his minions are.

May he burn in hell.

He used to show up at antiwar rallies in Crawford and try to takeover with his team. Unmitigated disaster.

[cstanleytech]

27. You know what makes people like Beck dangerous is they come across sounding so

reasonable at times or atleast until they go off and take a side trip to nutjob land (which Beck does frequently) which is when they lose me.

[jg10003]

22. The explanation is in the article, near the bottom

Jones didn’t say what prompted his apology but it may have been motivated by a letter Alefantis wrote to him in February. The letter demands an apology and retraction for InfoWars’ postings about Pizzagate; it does not threaten legal action, but refers to what Alefantis describes as “defaming” comments by InfoWars.

Under Texas law, the Austin-based Jones had to retract or apologize for the stories by Friday — one full month after receiving Alefantis’s letter — to avoid exposing InfoWars to punitive damages in a libel suit.

[cstanleytech]

28. So in other words he knew his ass was about to get mowed over in court so rather that risk a

shit ton of money (which is pretty much all that Repugnants like him care about) he said he was "sorry".
Of course we all know he really isnt sorry for what he said as it had the impact he was hoping for which is it played well to his base.

[Thor_MN]

38. He apologized - to the asshole that shot up the place. He DIDN'T apologize the the pizza place,

Hillary Clinton or anyone else.

As far as I am concerned, he is still open to libel charges.

[yuiyoshida]

23. Sorry Alex, once You taste the PIZZA THERE IS NO GIVING IT BACK!

NO REFUNDS! NO RETURNS!

[Lucinda]

24. KNR

[world wide wally]

25. I'll wait for his apology to Hillary

[Vinca]

31. Someone's worried about a lawsuit.

[FenwayDonkey]

35. We need our own Peter Thiel - put this guy out of business.*

[Mc Mike]

32. Sorry!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

33. I wonder how much role the "web brigades" of Russia played in planting & promoting the pizza shit.

[FenwayDonkey]

34. Lawyer Up A Hole*

[Fast Walker 52]

37. Haha, love it-- these guys are falling apart before our eyes

[Turbineguy]

40. It's nice that he is satisfied

with the damage he caused.

And the poor sap who lined himself up for 7 years in the slammer.

[calimary]

44. Relied on "third-party accounts..."

Okaaaaaaaaaayyyyy. And I bet you heard what you heard and ran straight to your live mic with it, without checking anything, getting a second opinion, confirming it independently anywhere with anybody stable and established in the real world and/or without the same berserko agenda that you have.

Gotcha, pal. That's what these publicly-humiliating egg-on-face moments are made of. Well done, genius.

[paleotn]

45. Go to hell, jones, you slim ball!!!

No apologies accepted from you on anything...ever!