Media Matters Sues FTC in Response to ‘Retribution’ Campaign

Media Matters for America sued the U.S. Federal Trade Commission Monday, accusing it of working on behalf of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk on a “retribution” campaign.

In the lawsuit, the progressive media watchdog organization alleged that the regulator was using “sweeping government powers to attempt to silence and harass an organization for daring to speak the truth.”

Angelo Carusone, chairman and president of Media Matters, said in a statement, “This is a significant free-speech issue, and Media Matters will not back down from this fight.”

He added, “If the Trump administration is allowed to use this unlawful investigation to punish legitimate reporting on behalf of a political ally, then there is nothing to stop it from targeting anyone who stands up and exercises their rights.”

Media Matters is being investigated by the FTC alongside other media credibility firms regarding their industry relationships, and the commission is requiring organizations to hand over information about operations, finances, and communications,

Civil Investigative Demand letters were issued by the FTC, which, like subpoenas, require recipients to produce documents and respond to inquiries.

Media Matters is asking a federal judge in Washington, D.C., to immediately halt the investigation, suggesting that the FTC was working to limit its free-speech rights.

It stated, “The FTC has violated Media Matters’ First Amendment rights by retaliating against the organization for its reporting on Elon Musk and X.”

It also claimed that pressure from the Trump administration, Republican state attorneys, and Musk has led to disruptions in its fundraising efforts, which, in turn, have led to layoffs of staff.

Furthermore, Media Matters is saying that it has been excluded from participating in coalitions with other advocacy groups as they fear that being associated with Media Matters could make them subjec to retribution.

According to The New York Times, the FTC declined to comment on the lawsuit, and Musk’s X, formerly Twitter, did not respond when approached for comment.

In November 2023, X sued Media Matters, with Musk alleging that the group knowingly manipulated data to push a damaging narrative about X after it published research highlighting racist and antisemitic content on the social platform.

The organization snapped back with a lawsuit of its own this past March.