US DOJ Questions Retired FBI Agent's Role In $1.4B Alex Jones Defamation Case

A senior U.S. Justice Department official, Ed Martin Jr., who leads the department's "weaponization working group," sent a letter to Christopher Mattei, the lawyer representing Sandy Hook families, questioning the involvement of retired FBI agent William Aldenberg in the $1.4 billion defamation lawsuit against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. The letter inquires whether Aldenberg received any financial benefit from organizing the lawsuit, where he was a plaintiff alongside victims' family members, and seeks clarity on his role and actions in the litigation. Aldenberg, who was one of the first responders to the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, has faced years of harassment fueled by false conspiracy theories propagated by Jones on his "Infowars" broadcasts. Martin's letter highlights potential legal concerns about government employees acting for personal gain, prompting a strong response from Mattei, who condemned the letter as harassment coinciding with efforts to liquidate Jones' assets to satisfy the judgment. The Justice Department has not commented on the matter. Martin's inquiry comes amid his broader examination of claims made by President Donald Trump.