Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into the left-wing media watchdog group Media Matters for "potential fraudulent activity" following accusations from X CEO Elon Musk. The billionaire tech mogul accused the group of manipulating data on social media platform X, leading to a mass exodus of advertisers including IBM, Apple, Disney, Lionsgate, and Paramount.
Musk, who had previously promised to hit Media Matters with a "thermonuclear lawsuit," was outraged by a report published by the group on Friday. The report claimed that X was allowing ads to appear next to "white nationalist hashtags," but Musk believes that this is a misrepresentation of the platform's user experience designed to mislead advertisers.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey also announced that his team is "looking into" the matter, and now Paxton is joining in with an official investigation after being "extremely troubled" by the allegations.
In a statement released by his office, Paxton declared that they will "vigorously enforce" against any non-profit organization found committing fraudulent acts in Texas. He also promised to examine the issue closely to ensure that the public has not been deceived by the "schemes" of radical left-wing groups.
“The second Elon Musk bought Twitter, the Democrats realized the next election couldn’t be rigged, the FBI wouldn’t be able to censor speech to help Biden win… If Musk wins this lawsuit and bankrupts Media Matters it would constitute an enormous victory for Free Speech” pic.twitter.com/IFeIoZRDoc
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) November 21, 2023
This investigation comes on the heels of Musk's recent controversy on X, where he received backlash for commenting on a post that many deemed anti-Semitic. The CEO has since clarified that anyone advocating for the genocide of any group will be suspended from the platform.
The White House also condemned Musk's comments, with spokesman Andrew Bates stating that the administration "condemns the abhorrent promotion of anti-Semitic and racist hate in the strongest terms," as it goes against American values.
This is not the first time that advertisers have fled the X platform. Last year, when Musk took over what was Twitter, hundreds of companies pulled their ads in response to his promise of restoring free speech to the platform.
Now, Musk is determined to uncover the truth behind the Media Matters report, stating that "the discovery and depositions will be glorious to behold." It remains to be seen what the investigation will uncover, but with both Paxton and Bailey on the case, it is clear that the issue is being taken seriously.
In the meantime, advertisers and users are left wondering about the future of X and its commitment to free speech. Only time will tell what impact this investigation will have on the social media platform and the larger online community.