Progressive watchdog group Media Matters is getting hit left and right. After running a hit-piece against X last month alleging ads on the social media giant were running “alongside white nationalist and pro-Nazi content,” resulting in big advertisers leaving the site, Elon Musk followed through with dropping a “thermonuclear lawsuit.” The entrepreneur argued Media Matters “completely misrepresented the real user experience on X, in another attempt to undermine freedom of speech and mislead advertisers.”
That report prompted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to open an investigation into the media watchdog to determine whether the group “fraudulently manipulated data on X.”
Now, another probe has been opened by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey.
"We have reason to believe Media Matters used fraud to solicit donations from Missourians in order to trick advertisers into pulling out of X, the last platform dedicated to free speech in America,” he said in a statement. “Radicals are attempting to kill [X] because they cannot control it, and we are not going to let Missourians get ripped off in the process.”
Bailey, who said he would do what's necessary to protect free speech from "progressive tyrants masquerading as news outlets," explained in a letter to the left-wing group that he believes they may have violated the state's consumer protection laws.
“As you are no doubt aware, a federal lawsuit has been filed against Media Matters, raising serious allegations that your firm falsely and deceptively manipulated the algorithm on X (formerly known as Twitter) through coordinated, inauthentic behavior and that you did so in an attempt to defame the organization and cause advertisers to pull their support from the platform, thus harming free speech. The lawsuit alleges that you lied to the public, falsely suggesting that fringe, extremist content regularly appears next to content from corporate advertisers when in fact the opposite is true. At the same time, you appear to have used this coordinated, inauthentic activity to solicit charitable donations from consumers across the country.”
He continued, “I have reason to believe that your firm’s alleged actions may have violated Missouri consumer protection laws, including laws that prohibit nonprofit entities from soliciting funds under false pretenses. E.g., Mo. Rev. Stat. § 407.020.1. I am especially concerned that Media Matters’ actions, if proven true, have hampered free speech by targeting an expressly pro free speech social media platform in an attempt to cause it financial harm while defrauding Missourians in the process.
"You are thus hereby instructed to preserve all records that may relate to your alleged effort to engage in coordinated, inauthentic behavior on social media platforms in order to generate false statements that were used to solicit charitable contributions under false pretenses." (Attorney General's Office)
Glad to hear this
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 11, 2023
BREAKING: Missouri Attorney General @AGAndrewBailey officially notifies Media Matters that they’re under investigation.
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) December 11, 2023
They have ordered the preservation of:
-Internal communications regarding their strategy to target advertisers on X into pulling their ads from the platform.… pic.twitter.com/Dc47OBwOwW
