Judge blocks FTC’s investigation into media matters, ruling that it is “retaliatory act”

The long-standing legend between Elon Musk and the media affairs of the liberal oversight group may be over. On Friday, a U.S. District Court blocked a Federal Trade Commission investigation into the media, which allegedly colluded with advertisers and advocacy groups to boycott X.

The FTC inquiry began in May, but its roots can be traced back to the 2023 Media Affairs Report, showing ads on X that appeared along with neo-Nazi and white supremacist content. The story is one of several controversies in the early months of Musk’s takeover of Twitter’s chaos, which drove advertisers to drive them away. Musk later sued media matters, accusing the export of intentionally scaring castsutsers advertisers.

In June, media affairs fought back, suing the FTC and claiming that its 2023 report on X was unfair. Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan supported media matters, calling the FTC’s exhaustive investigation a “retaliatory bill” that violated the First Amendment. The court’s ruling effectively blocked the investigation, although the FTC could still appeal.

“The case raises a direct First Amendment violation,” Judge Sooknanan wrote. “Media Affairs published an online article in a typical First Amendment activity criticizing Mr. Musk and X., and the court found that the FTC’s extensive CID was retaliatory.”

As New York Times The case is part of a broader model, noting that the Trump administration repeatedly targets left-leaning institutions, from law firms to fundraising platform Actblue, alleging fraud or foreign influence.