Media Matters sues FTC, says agency is retaliating on behalf of Elon Musk

Media Matters for America sued the Federal Trade Commission yesterday, alleging that the FTC's ongoing investigation into the group "has violated Media Matters' First Amendment rights by retaliating against the organization for its reporting on Elon Musk and X."

"The investigation is the latest effort by Elon Musk and his allies in the Trump administration to retaliate against Media Matters for its reporting on X, the social media site Musk controls, and it's another example of the Trump administration weaponizing government authorities to target political opponents," Media Matters said in a press release. The group said it has suffered financially because of "the cascade of litigation launched by Musk and his allies."

The FTC's investigative demand "makes no secret of its connection to Musk's vindictive lawsuits," and "probes Media Matters' finances, editorial process, newsgathering activities, and affiliations with likeminded entities that monitor extremist content and other third parties," Media Matters said in the lawsuit filed in US District Court for the District of Columbia.

Media Matters is a nonprofit journalism organization that has been targeted by Musk and Republicans for articles such as one showing that X placed advertisements next to pro-Nazi posts. Media Matters has faced probes from the Texas and Missouri attorneys general and a lawsuit filed by X. In the case involving Texas, a federal appeals court found in May that "Media Matters is the target of a government campaign of retaliation."

Lawsuit: FTC “snoops into newsgathering activities”

The FTC sent a civil investigative demand (CID) on May 20, "apparently seeking to revive the state government investigations that had been blocked by this Court," Media Matters said in its lawsuit yesterday. "The CID's first substantive demand makes clear its connection to Musk's lawsuits, seeking 'all documents that Media Matters either produced or received in discovery in any litigation between Media Matters and X Corp. related to advertiser boycotts since 2023.'"