One of the most controversial platforms on the Internet may have a new owner, as satirical news outlet The Onion attempts to buy far-right site Infowars. Infowars was sold at auction following its bankruptcy, and the transaction would end control of the website by its longtime owner and founder, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

Jones has long been a lightning rod figure and was forced to put Infowars up for sale after losing a Connecticut-based defamation lawsuit, costing him $1.5 billion in damages. But The Onion and its parent company, Global Tetrahedron LLC, intend to keep Infowars alive if the deal goes through — something Jones and his lawyers are trying to prevent.

Why did The Onion buy Infowars?