FTC Launches Investigation into Far-Left Group Media Matters

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched an investigation into the leftist pro-censorship organization Media Matters for alleged coordination with other media watchdog groups accused by X owner Elon Musk of coordinating advertiser boycotts of the social media platform.

A civil investigative demand obtained by Reuters revealed that the regulator is seeking all documents that Media Matters has produced or received as part of the ongoing lawsuit launched by Musk in 2023, which alleges that it attempted to damage the site’s relationship with advertisers. 

The commission is seeking information about the Washington, DC-based organization’s communications with similar Democrat-aligned groups, including a World Federation of Advertisers initiative called Global Alliance for Responsible Media — another subject of an ongoing X lawsuit. 

Media Matters President Angela Carusone called the move by the FTC a “threat” by the Trump administration in a statement to the New York Post. 

“Right-wing media figures holding key posts and abusing government power to target critics are two hallmarks of the Trump administration,” he said in a statement on Thursday. “Threats won’t work, our mission continues.”

While the FTC has yet to publicly comment on the investigation, Trump-appointed Chairman Andrew Ferguson said, “We must prosecute any unlawful collusion between online platforms, and confront advertiser boycotts which threaten competition among those platforms,” in a December statement on an unrelated case.

Ferguson later stated in April, “Drying up the advertising will dry up the idea. So, the risk of an advertiser boycott is a pretty serious risk to the free exchange of ideas.”

The left-wing watchdog was forced to lay off dozens of employees last May as they fought the “legal assault” by Musk, Carusone said at the time. 

The group has often attacked Breitbart News and its late founder, Andrew Breitbart, smearing his platform as a “disaster” and a “hotbed of ridiculous smears.”

Media Matters even targeted ABC News for including Andrew in its 2010 midterm election coverage, ultimately convincing the network to drop the conservative firebrand from the show. 

“This is about cowardice and caving into what was an overwhelming onslaught by Media Matters, The Huffington Post, TalkingPointsMemo, and Daily Kos,” Breitbart told POLITICO at the time. “This is their bowing to left-wing pressure…They know they can do it at any time and any place and ABC will bow to pressure.”

Following ABC’s cancellation of Breitbart, Media Matters founder and CEO David Brock said, “I’m pleased that ABC finally came to its senses and realized that nothing good can come from associating in any way with Andrew Breitbart.”

He continued his slander: “I still don’t understand why they ever thought it would be a good idea to host a racist right-wing hoaxster like him, but cooler heads have prevailed. The man is poison.”

Reacting to the news of the investigation, conservative activist Charlie Kirk posted, “Good! Media Matters has every right to complain about what I say — They don’t have the right to break antitrust laws to create a speech cartel and drive their enemies out of business.”

Olivia Rondeau is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in Washington, DC. Find her on X/Twitter and Instagram.