As you probably have heard, Media Matters managed to bully Twitter/X’s largest advertisers into dropping the platform due to their advertisements appearing next to antisemitic tweets.

It is, in fact, true (as far as I can tell) that such placement happened, but that is only the case because Media Matters found a way to game the algorithm to make it occur. In other words, the “harm” created by this placement of ads could only occur under very specific, artificially created circumstances.

Media Matters is the only Twitter user to have experienced this. An imperfect analogy is attacking a car company for making defective cars because it is possible for an individual to light a fire under the gas tank, making the car explode.

Twitter/X is suing Media Matters for committing tortious interference in its business, which is a fancy way of saying they targeted Twitter in a manner intended to undermine its business.

Media Matters clearly is guilty of doing so, in the eyes of a layman, but God knows what the exact legal standard is and whether Musk’s suit will prevail, or even whether it should by prevailing legal standards. On a common sense basis, it is clear that MM put a target on Musk’s back to harm his business, created a false impression with the express purpose of deceiving people in a manner that would result in harm to Twitter, and that they are tremendous a**holes to boot.

That last part goes without saying.

The Attorney General of Missouri, Andrew Bailey, thinks Media Matters has some ‘splaining to do and may have violated the law and harmed Missourians. He has joined Texas AG Ken Paxton in investigating the attack on X, stepping up the pressure on the “nonprofit.” From a layman’s point of view Missouri seems to be making a stronger case for the investigation by tying it to the fundraising.

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

Bailey is requiring Media Matters to preserve all documentation related to the matter and is investigating based on the fact that Media Matters isn’t just interfering in the free speech rights of Missourians, which is likely a weak case, but on the stronger basis that it defrauded people about what it did and raised charitable donations based upon fraudulent claims.

As you are no doubt aware, a federal lawsuit has been filed against Media Matters, 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 violated Missouri 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.

That second point may have some legs, while the first is not clearly in the AG’s wheelhouse, although it certainly is true. Media Matters engaged in this activity with malice aforethought, but the harm done to the citizens of Missouri is once removed. I suspect the AG put that in there more to strengthen his rhetorical case than to bolster his legal position, but I am no lawyer.

Media Matters is about as vile a Left-wing organization as there is, given its role as a hub for disseminating slander about those the Left doesn’t like. It was founded by David Brock, who is and always has been a sleazebag. It would be good to see the organization take a financial hit for attacking Musk.

God only knows whether Media Matters will take a well-deserved pounding from these legal cases, but at least somebody is fighting back. Even if they only succeed in tying up the executives at Media Matters and making them sweat it will be a small victory. If Musk actually succeeds in court it could really sting.

That would be good.