Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a lawsuit against Media Matters to compel the nonprofit to submit documents related to his investigation into its alleged fraudulent business practices. General Bailey initiated the investigation in November 2023 after discovering evidence that Media Matters solicited donations from Missourians under false pretenses, aiming to influence advertisers to withdraw from X, formerly known as Twitter, in direct violation of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act.
“My office has reason to believe Media Matters engaged in fraudulent activities to solicit donations from Missourians to intimidate advertisers into leaving X, the last social media platform committed to free speech in America,” stated Attorney General Bailey. “Media Matters has a history of non-cooperation with investigations, but I am determined to prevent this activist group from obstructing our efforts. Should any attempt to defraud Missourians to infringe upon their free speech rights be confirmed, I will expose and penalize the responsible parties.”
Allegations against Media Matters include deceitful manipulation of X’s algorithm to associate advertisers’ content with deliberately contentious posts, leading to significant financial losses for X as advertisers withdrew their investments. Media Matters has been vocal in its criticism of X for its refusal to censor certain viewpoints.
The lawsuit elaborates, “Media Matters, which claims to be a ‘progressive research and information center,’ falls significantly short of this benign description. Far from merely ‘monitoring,’ Media Matters has engaged in fraudulent solicitation of donations from Missourians, aiming to convince advertisers to remove their ads from X, one of the final bastions of free speech in America.”
It continues, “Unable to control X or the platform it provides Missourians for expressing their views, the ‘progressives’ at Media Matters have resorted to fraudulent tactics to discredit X, as Benjamin Franklin once implied, branding it publicly as an adversary to press freedom. Missourians will not be swayed by ‘progressive’ activists under the guise of news outlets, nor will they be deceived.”
The complaint further states, “Following serious allegations of misleading and deceptive conduct, the Attorney General’s Office has issued a Civil Investigative Demand (CID), as authorized by Missouri Law, to Media Matters. This is to investigate potential violations of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act. Given Media Matters’ history of resistance to similar inquiries in other states and its explicit refusal to cooperate, the Attorney General is seeking a court order under section 407.090, mandating Media Matters to comply with the CID within 20 days.”
The lawsuit can be read here.
The civil investigative demand can be read here.
