Here We Go: Missouri Attorney General Investigating Media Matters for Fraud

Hoo boy.

This is big news.

A couple of weeks ago, we talked about how Media Matters may have fraudulently manipulated Twitter/X's algorithms to undermine advertising on the website. Elon Musk, calling Media Matters 'pure evil' has filled a 'thermonuclear' lawsuit against the outlet.

🚨BREAKING: We have reason to believe Media Matters used fraud to solicit donations from Missourians in order to bully advertisers into pulling out of X, the last platform dedicated to free speech in America.
 
We have launched an investigation. pic.twitter.com/jBUJqdsFYL

— Attorney General Andrew Bailey (@AGAndrewBailey) December 11, 2023

It'll be interesting to see where this goes.

The letter reads in part:

Dear Mr. Carusone,

This letter serves as a formal document hold notice under federal and Missouri law. The Missouri Attorney General’s Office has opened an investigation into Media Matters for America (“Media Matters”) regarding your firm’s potentially unlawful business practices. 

As you are no doubt aware, a federal lawsuit has been filed against MediaMatters, raising serious allegations that your firm falsely and deceptively manipulated the algorithm on X (formerly known as Twitter) through coordinated, inauthentic behavior and that you did so in an attempt to defame the organization and cause advertisers to pull their support from the platform, thus harming free speech. The lawsuit alleges that you lied to the public, falsely suggesting that fringe,extremist content regularly appears next to content from corporate advertisers when in fact the opposite is true. At the same time, you appear to have used this coordinated, inauthentic activity to solicit charitable donations from consumers across the country.

I have reason to believe that your firm’s alleged actions may have violatedMissouri consumer protection laws, including laws that prohibit nonprofit entities from soliciting funds under false pretenses. E.g., Mo. Rev. Stat. § 407.020.1. I am especially concerned that Media Matters’ actions, if proven true, have hampered free speech by targeting an expressly pro free speech social media platform in an attempt to cause it financial harm while defrauding Missourians in the process.

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Grateful Calvin

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Those are some hefty charges.

Enemies of free speech are attempting to kill X because they cannot control it, and we are not going to let Missourians be subject to fraud in the process.

— Attorney General Andrew Bailey (@AGAndrewBailey) December 11, 2023

I’m fighting to ensure progressive tyrants masquerading as news outlets cannot manipulate the marketplace in order to wipe out free speech.

— Attorney General Andrew Bailey (@AGAndrewBailey) December 11, 2023

Read more about our investigation here: https://t.co/H5S0WvOTDU

— Attorney General Andrew Bailey (@AGAndrewBailey) December 11, 2023

And, unsurprisingly, Elon Musk is happy with this development:

Glad to hear this

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 11, 2023

So are we.

Media Matters tried to blackmail Elon Musk and all they did was make everyone sue them and make Elon mad enough to unban Alex Jones. Thanks Media Matters!

— Shem Horne (@Shem_Infinite) December 11, 2023

They're just batting a thousand here, aren't they?

Another thing that A LOT of public figures love to do is to do what's popular - not what's right

While *this time* the two coincide, I do hope that the AG does actually have the balls to pursue what is actually right, not what's popular

That said, give them hell

— Toivandroid (@toivandroid) December 11, 2023

Amen and hallelujah.

Media Matters now under investigation for fraud in Missouri too. Like I said, every red state AG should be opening their own fraud investigations into this company. https://t.co/ajEPhie542

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) December 11, 2023

We agree 100%.

Hold their feet to the fire. This is the way 👏🏼

Media Matters is unprincipled & crooked https://t.co/v4oRLrriC6

— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) December 11, 2023

This is the way.

MO AG prepares for war. https://t.co/8OP0kcFZ5d pic.twitter.com/vNEx7NhujC

— 🥷🦅Austin Petersen 🇺🇲🥋 (@AP4Liberty) December 11, 2023

And this is an ideological war.

Liberals thought they'd have the politically motivated prosecution game to themselves forever. That is not how the world works. https://t.co/P3Gg8EidYV

— John Hawkins (@johnhawkinsrwn) December 11, 2023

They never thing of the long-term implications of their actions, and are always surprised when their rules are applied to them.

Another example of why your elected state officials are more important then your Congressional Reps and Senators. https://t.co/rUYMZY7jNw

— Carolina Lion (@CarolinaLion2) December 11, 2023

Local elections matter.

Hopefully we get a clear look at the communication and strategies involved here so we can better preserve the right to free speech in the future and avoid propaganda outlets manipulating public opinion. https://t.co/3RLiFkEKcH

— Nunya (@imtweetn) December 11, 2023

We certainly hope so.

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