Judge Blocks FTC Probe of Media Matters, Citing First Amendment Concerns

A federal judge has temporarily halted the Federal Trade Commission’s investigation into Media Matters for America, ruling that the probe likely violates the advocacy group’s First Amendment rights. In a decision issued 16 Aug 2025, U.S. District Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan granted a preliminary injunction blocking the agency from enforcing wide-ranging demands for documents and testimony. The FTC opened the inquiry in May after Media Matters published 2023 research showing advertisements from major brands appearing beside antisemitic and extremist posts on X, the social-media platform owned by Elon Musk. That report prompted several advertisers to withdraw, leading X to sue the watchdog group for allegedly orchestrating a “systematic illegal boycott.” Sooknanan, appointed to the District Court for the District of Columbia in 2024, wrote that the FTC’s request appeared to be “a retaliatory act” intended to punish “quintessential First Amendment activity.” She noted that Chair Andrew Ferguson, installed after Donald Trump returned to the presidency in January, had publicly urged investigations of progressive organizations—including Media Matters—before taking the helm at the agency. The ruling pauses the investigation while the underlying lawsuit proceeds. The FTC has not said whether it will appeal. Separate civil cases filed by X against Media Matters remain pending.