Some of the families who lost loved ones in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting believe that conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ wildly false claims about the events of Dec. 14, 2012 have found an audience, if not a proponent, in Congress.
They’re calling for the resignation of freshman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who, as first reported by Media Matters for America, has written that she agrees with lies, frequently broadcast by Jones, that the attack on Sandy Hook and other gun massacres were staged.
Mark Barden, co-founder of the nonprofit group Sandy Hook Promise, is among those pushing for Taylor Greene’s removal. His 7-year-old son, Daniel, was murdered alongside 19 fellow first graders and six educators.
"I would invite Rep. Taylor Greene to come and sit and talk with my family," says Barden, "as we continue the never-ending, debilitating pain of grieving the shooting murder of our 7 year old little boy... and she can tell us to our faces how she's questioning the murder."
He adds, "If she's so sure that this was staged, then she can come tell me where in the hell I can find my son."
WTIC News has contacted Rep. Taylor Greene’s office, seeking a response.
Another advocacy group, Newtown Action Alliance (NAA), is also calling for the congresswoman's departure from Congress.
In a tweet, NAA writes, “@RepMTG, we know firsthand that the Sandy Hook shooting was not a hoax. Our neighborhood children & our educators were killed on that tragic day. You must stop spreading lies, resign from Congress, have someone lock up your guns, & seek help immediately.”
In related news, the Texas Supreme Court, without comment, ruled last week that Newtown families have standing to sue conspiracy theorist Alex Jones in his home jurisdiction, Travis County, TX.
Newtown parents Neil Heslin, Scarlett Lewis, Leonard Pozner and Veronique De La Rosa are suing Jones for defamation, based on his repeated false claims about the attack.
The families believe Jones’ claims inspired some of his followers to directly harass victims’ relatives with the bogus hoax claims.
Mark Barden says his family, including his two older children, who are now in college, have been re-victimized by the blind fury of Jones followers:
“His legions of delusional schizophrenics have reached out to my son at college on his cellphone late at night. So, we still endure the effects of his lies and conspiracy garbage. And the fact that he’s profiting from it makes it all that more gross.”
In a 2019 deposition (as reported by AP), Jones blamed claims he’s made, including those regarding Sandy Hook, on “psychosis."
Jones said during the deposition that he “almost had like a form of psychosis back in the past where I basically thought everything was staged, even though I’m now learning a lot of times things aren’t staged.”