Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has asked a U.S. judge to convert his bankruptcy into a Chapter 7 liquidation, giving up on an effort to settle massive legal judgments related to his lies about the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.

Jones — a prominent conspiracy theorist and far-right broadcaster known primarily in connection with the fake news website Infowars and its namesake talk series — lost multiple defamation lawsuits last year brought by the families of Sandy Hook victims, who alleged that his false statements claiming the tragedy was a "giant hoax" caused them undue emotional distress, mainly by way of serious harassment from his followers.

NEW YORK, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones cannot use his personal bankruptcy to escape paying at least $1.1 billion in defamation damages stemming from his repeated lies about the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school massacre, a U.S. bankruptcy judge ruled Thursday.

A federal bankruptcy judge ruled Thursday that bankruptcy proceedings will not shield Infowars host Alex Jones from more than $1.1 billion in damages he owes the families of Sandy Hook shooting victims who won a civil defamation case against him in Connecticut last year.