Back in November of 2023, leftist “watchdog” group Media Matters issued a report claiming that the social media platform X would be putting advertisements next to content that was “pro-Nazi”.
This news resulted in many advertisers pulling from the platform soon after.
But Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey wants to know how this non-profit got their donations to put together this report.
The AG filed a petition on Monday in state court to find out if left-wing Media Matters was using fraudulent techniques to acquire funds for the report.
🚨BREAKING: I am filing suit against Media Matters to force them to turn over documents regarding their solicitation of donations to bully advertisers into pulling out of X, the last platform dedicated to free speech in America.
THREAD: pic.twitter.com/tSRXIpyJ1h
— Attorney General Andrew Bailey (@AGAndrewBailey) March 25, 2024
Supporters of free speech immediately showed support for the move on social media, including one figure of notoriety on X.
Much appreciated!
Media Matters is doing everything it can to undermine the First Amendment. Truly an evil organization.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 25, 2024
— Todd Warren (@ToddWar30714783) March 25, 2024
— Crisis Action Team (@CrisisActionTm) March 25, 2024
Some people expressed gratitude that the Attorney General was doing what an AG should be doing: going after those who’ve broken the law.
⚠️This is what an AG should be focusing on.
Letitia James are you listening???
— Tim Krachenfels (@Dozen4Trump_DAD) March 25, 2024
Others think this should be just the beginning of discovering how deep the rabbit hole goes with Media Matters.
Now, to look into the entire Democracy Alliance. Which Media Matters is apart of pic.twitter.com/x0oQyWqfw8
— Tom (@ThomasJ79x) March 25, 2024
Our friends at Fox News have more on the recently filed suit:
Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey of Missouri filed a petition in state court on Monday to enforce a civil investigative demand, similar to a subpoena, into the advertising materials of left-wing nonprofit group Media Matters for America.
“Media Matters has used fraud to solicit donations from Missourians in order to trick advertisers into removing their advertisements from X, formerly Twitter, one of the last platforms dedicated to free speech in America,” Bailey wrote in the petition, first obtained by Fox News Digital.
In November, Media Matters published a report that said X would place ads next to “pro-Nazi” content. Elon Musk, owner of X, filed a lawsuit against Media Matters, saying the group falsely and deceptively manipulated the algorithm on X. In his filing, Bailey said, “through coordinated, inauthentic behavior” in an attempt to “defame the organization and cause advertisers to pull their support from the platform, thus harming free speech,”
“Media Matters has pursued an activist agenda in its attempt to destroy X, because they cannot control it,” Bailey wrote in Monday’s petition.
After Media Matters published its report, companies like IBM, Disney, Apple, Sony, Walmart, among others, pulled their advertisements from the social media platform.
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