Infowars host Alex Jones is requesting immunity from prosecution from the Justice Department in exchange for information about his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, rally near the White House that took place prior to the breach of the Capitol building.
The New York Times reports that Jones has given the government a letter expressing "his desire to speak to federal prosecutors about Jan. 6."
Norm Pattis, Jones' lawyer, maintains that Jones did not engage in any "criminal wrongdoing" that day when he helped lead a crowd of Trump supporters on a march to the Capitol.
As a condition of speaking to federal investigators, Jones, who is known for his diatribes about the “deep state” and its alleged control of the country, has requested immunity.
"He distrusts the government," Pattis told the Times.
After appearing before the House Jan. 6 committee at the beginning of this year, Jones told his Infowars audience that, on the advice of a lawyer, he had invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination "almost 100 times."
When issuing its subpoena to Jones, the House committee said Jones worked with others to provide "80 percent of the funding" for Trump's Ellipse rally. The committee also said that in the days leading up to Jan. 6, Jones often promoted Trump's theories about a rigged election and "made statements implying" he had knowledge of the former president's rally plans.
The Times reports that before Trump finished his speech that day, Jones left the Ellipse and marched to the Capitol, using a bullhorn to encourage the crowd, before receiving word that the building had been breached just after 1:30 p.m.
According to the Times, Jones can be heard telling top Infowars lieutenant Owen Shroyer, "We got to get this right," in video footage as they marched closer to the Capitol.
In its subpoena letter, the committee said that once Jones reached the Capitol, he told the crowd not to be violent and to congregate on the east side of the building where a group member had a permit for a rally.
Jones was found liable for damages in a trio of lawsuits last year filed after he falsely claimed that the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre was a hoax.
On Wednesday, a Texas judge postponed the scheduled jury trial over the amount Jones should pay Sandy Hook families.
The first trial over how much Jones should pay the families had been scheduled to begin Monday in Austin, Texas, where Infowars is headquartered.
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