The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday opened an investigation into Media Matters, a liberal advocacy organization that has published research on hateful and antisemitic content on X, according to two people familiar with the inquiry.
The regulator said in a letter sent to the organization that it was investigating the group, which is aligned with Democrats, over whether it illegally colluded with advertisers, according to the people.
Elon Musk, who owns X and has become a close adviser to President Trump, sued Media Matters in 2023 over claims that it tried to damage the social media platform’s relationship with advertisers. That lawsuit continues.
The investigation is the latest example of the Trump administration’s taking actions against individuals and organizations that play critical roles in the infrastructure of the political left.
Mr. Trump previously signed executive orders targeting law firms that serve Democrats and other clients who oppose him, including by directing federal agencies not to contract with the firms or permit their staff into federal buildings. The president has also directed the Justice Department to investigate ActBlue, a digital fund-raising platform used by progressive causes and Democratic candidates.
Angelo Carusone, the president of Media Matters, suggested that the investigation was an effort to intimidate his group.
“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.”
The F.T.C. declined to comment. Andrew Ferguson, the Trump-appointed head of the F.T.C., has previously spoken about his concern over “colluding” in advertising.
“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,” Mr. Ferguson said at a conference last month.
Media Matters was founded in 2004 as a liberal watchdog organization with a mission to discredit conservative media and identify misinformation. The organization has become a foundational part of the big-money infrastructure that supports the Democratic Party and its candidates.
The Media Matters founder, David Brock, a former right-wing journalist who switched sides and became close to the Clinton family, cultivated a group of Democratic megadonors. They have since contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to a network of groups that conduct opposition research, help Democratic candidates and work to undermine Republicans. Mr. Brock stepped down from the board chairman role at Media Matters in 2022.
Media Matters raised about $20 million in 2023, the most recent year for which its tax filings are publicly available.
Mr. Musk, who has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to boost Mr. Trump and has led a government cost-cutting effort, has sued watchdog organizations, advertising coalitions and individual brands over what his legal teams have described as an organized boycott against his social media platform.
Media Matters published research in 2023 documenting that advertisements on X appeared alongside antisemitic posts. Its report came on the heels of a controversy spurred by one of Mr. Musk’s posts on X, in which he appeared to endorse an antisemitic conspiracy theory. After outcry from Jewish groups, Mr. Musk apologized.
Media Matters has denied wrongdoing in the legal battle with X, saying that the social media platform is trying to “bully X’s critics into silence.”
In March, Media Matters filed its own lawsuit against X, accusing the Musk company of “libel tourism” by filing suits in Singapore and Ireland, alongside Texas, which has a federal court known as being friendlier to conservatives.
X is also under supervision by the F.T.C. after a 2011 settlement in which the social media company admitted it had violated users’ privacy. The agency intensified its investigation into X in 2023 under the Biden administration.
Kate Conger is a technology reporter based in San Francisco. She can be reached at [email protected].
Kenneth P. Vogel is based in Washington and investigates the intersection of money, politics and influence.
Theodore Schleifer is a Times reporter covering billionaires and their impact on the world.
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