US EditionJudge Blocks Trump FTC’s ‘Retaliation’ Against Liberal Media Watchdog
A federal judge ruled the FTC investigation into Media Matters violated free speech rights and halted the probe into alleged collusion over advertiser boycotts of Elon Musk's platform.
- On Friday, U.S. District Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan granted a preliminary injunction blocking the FTC investigation of Media Matters for America while the court reviews the June 23 lawsuit.
- Earlier this year, the Federal Trade Commission issued a civil investigative demand to probe an advertising boycott of Elon Musk’s platform, X, after Media Matters’ research showed ads appeared alongside antisemitic content, with Chairman Andrew Ferguson sending the CID in May.
- Judge Sooknanan wrote that the civil investigative demand would deter a reporter of ordinary firmness from speaking again, a First Amendment concern she identified.
- Struggling financially, Media Matters for America decided against pursuing stories about the FTC, Ferguson, and Musk because of the civil investigative demand, The New York Times reported last month.
- This development marks the third time a federal court has blocked Republican elected officials’ alleged campaign of retaliation, testing whether courts will protect media and nonprofit organizations.
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Court blocks FTC investigation into Media Matters' alleged scheme against X
The court has blocked the Federal Trade Commission's investigation into Media Matters, the media nonprofit that previously published research showing that ads appeared on X alongside neo-Nazi and other antisemitic content. In 2023, Elon Musk's X filed a lawsuit against the media watchdog following an advertiser exodus. It accused Media Matters of "knowingly and maliciously manufactur[ing] side-by-side images depicting advertisers' posts on X Cor…
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources22
Leaning Left7Leaning Right3Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution41% Left, 41% Center
Bias Distribution
- 41% of the sources lean Left, 41% of the sources are Center
41% Center
L 41%
C 41%
R 18%
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