Media Matters Sues FTC over Advertising Investigation

The Washington Post

12:48 JST, June 24, 2025

Media Matters for America, a left-leaning watchdog group that covers conservative media and tech platforms, sued the Federal Trade Commission and its commissioners amid a federal inquiry into its coverage of advertising practices.

The group alleges the FTC has initiated a “campaign of retribution” in violation of Media Matters’ rights under the First Amendment, which protects the freedom of speech.

“The Trump administration has demonstrated that it will not hesitate to abuse the powers of the federal government to undermine the First Amendment and stifle dissent. This highly politicized FTC investigation is part of that playbook,” Angelo Carusone, chairman and president of Media Matters, wrote in a statement. “This is a significant free speech issue, and Media Matters will not back down from this fight. If the Trump administration is allowed to use this unlawful investigation to punish legitimate reporting on behalf of a political ally, then there is nothing to stop it from targeting anyone who stands up and exercises their rights.”

In May, Media Matters said that it received a civil investigative demand letter requesting materials related to a lawsuit filed by Elon Musk, as well as communications with media and advertising groups, and information about its policies, among other items, The Washington Post reported. Musk has publicly blamed Media Matters for major advertisers cutting or canceling spending on X, the social media platform he owns.

In the complaint against the FTC, filed Monday in federal district court in Washington, Media Matters wrote that FTC chairman Andrew Ferguson, a Trump appointee, is essentially carrying out a broader years-old “vendetta” that Musk started against the watchdog organization. The social network X first sued Media Matters in 2023 for a report that showed ads next to pro-Nazi posts. The FTC did not respond to a request for comment.

Musk recently left the government and has publicly disagreed with the Trump administration over government spending plans, though the U.S. DOGE Service that he had overseen is still active.

Media Matters recently claimed victory in a similar case. In May, a federal circuit court ruled in favor of Media Matters after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton similarly demanded internal records. “Elon Musk encouraged Republican state attorneys general to use their power to harass their critics and stifle reporting about X,” Carusone wrote in a statement at the time. “Ken Paxton was one of those AGs who took up the call, and his attempt to use his office as an instrument for Musk’s censorship crusade has been defeated.”

In addition to First Amendment claims, Media Matters alleges the FTC violated its protections under the Fourth Amendment, which can limit the scope of broad-based government subpoenas. The group asked a federal judge to halt the investigation and any demands for documents.