Texas AG Targets Liberal Website After It Published Troubling Report About Nazi Content on Twitter/X

AP Photo/Nick Wagner

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced his office is opening an investigation into the liberal news outlet Media Matters, the same day the liberal news website was sued for defamation by Elon Musk.

The investigation was first reported by Fox News Digital.

Media Matters published a report last week showing ads from major companies running next to pro-Nazi content. The report came two days after Musk tweeted his approval of an anti-Semitic post on X (formerly known as Twitter) accusing Jews of pushing “hatred against whites” and their replacement by “hordes of minorities.”

In response to Musk’s post, several major brands announced they are pulling their business from the platform.

Over the weekend, he nudged public discourse away from his agreement with the aforementioned anti-Semitic tweet by announcing his looming lawsuit against Media Matters.

In a statement, Musk and X claim Media Matters tried to “manipulate the public and advertisers” by creating instances where Nazi content appeared alongside ads. The statement also admits that this does occur on the platform, but only in “rare” instances.

Media Matters president Angelo Carusone responded by calling the suit hogwash.

“Far from the free speech advocate he claims to be, Musk is a bully who threatens meritless lawsuits in an attempt to silence reporting that he even confirmed is accurate,” he said in a statement.

Piggybacking off Musk’s claims, Paxton issued a press release on Monday night, saying it has opened a probe into the website:

AUSTIN — The Office of the Attorney General (“OAG”) is opening an investigation into Media Matters for potential fraudulent activity. Under the Texas Business Organizations Code and the Deceptive Trade Practices Act, the OAG will vigorously enforce against nonprofits who commit fraudulent acts in or affecting the state of Texas.

Attorney General Paxton was extremely troubled by the allegations that Media Matters, a radical anti-free speech organization, fraudulently manipulated data on X.com (formerly known as Twitter).

“We are examining the issue closely to ensure that the public has not been deceived by the schemes of radical left-wing organizations who would like nothing more than to limit freedom by reducing participation in the public square,” said Attorney General Paxton.

Like Musk, Paxton has been in hot water of late. The Republican was impeached by the GOP-controlled Texas House of Representatives for allegedly abusing his office to help a real estate investor “investigate and harass his enemies, delay foreclosure sales of his properties and obtain confidential records on the police investigating him,” according to several witnesses.

In return, they said, the investor paid for renovations on Paxton’s house and helped cover up an extramarital affair the attorney general had.

Paxton was acquitted by the Texas Senate.

Separately, he is under indictment for securities fraud and is slated to go to trial on April 15.