Latest news with #AngeloCarusone
The Verge
6 days ago
- Business
- The Verge
Media Matters is still fighting.
Posted Jul 25, 2025 at 6:08 PM UTC Media Matters is still fighting. The left-leaning nonprofit watchdog has been a frequent target of Elon Musk and other Republicans for its reporting on the right wing media ecosystem. Its legal battles have left the group with mounting bills, concerns for staff safety, and hesitant donors, The New York Times reports. 'Unlike some major media entities that have recently caved to pressure, we understand that this battle is larger than us,' Angelo Carusone, the president of Media Matters, said in a statement. 'That's why we continue to carry out our mission and fight in court.' Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates. Mia Sato Features Writer, The Verge Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Mia Sato Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Elon Musk Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Policy Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Politics Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Twitter - X
New York Times
6 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Under Siege From Trump and Musk, a Top Liberal Group Falls Into Crisis
Media Matters, a nonprofit group that has played a key role in liberal politics, is struggling to withstand months of legal assaults by President Trump's allies, offering a glimpse of what might be in store for even well-funded targets of his retribution campaigns. The organization, which is funded by some of the Democratic Party's biggest donors, has racked up about $15 million in legal fees over the past 20 months to defend itself against lawsuits by Elon Musk, in addition to investigations by Mr. Trump's Federal Trade Commission and Republican state attorneys general. The group has slashed the size of its staff and scrambled to raise more cash from skittish donors, according to documents and interviews with 11 people familiar with the organization's fight to survive. That might not be enough. Media Matters tried to settle with Mr. Musk by offering concessions, but the sides were far apart and talks fizzled. Even when the group has triumphed in court, Mr. Musk has appealed or filed new cases elsewhere. As a last resort, it has considered shuttering, according to interviews and an internal document. Publicly, the group has said that it has no plans to close, and that it is committed to defending itself as a matter of principle. 'Unlike some major media entities that have recently caved to pressure, we understand that this battle is larger than us,' Angelo Carusone, the president of Media Matters, said in a statement. 'That's why we continue to carry out our mission and fight in court.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Independent
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Trump claims he never ‘wrote a picture.' His sketchy Epstein lie has now been exposed
President Donald Trump has strongly pushed back against the bombshell Wall Street Journal report that alleged he drew a 'bawdy' sketch in a birthday message to celebrate convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein 's 50th birthday. 'I never wrote a picture in my life,' he said in a rebuttal to the newspaper, vehemently denying having anything to do with the card. In a Truth Social tirade late Thursday, the president declared, 'I don't draw pictures.' Trump is accused of writing a cryptic note that made mention of a 'wonderful secret' in his note to the disgraced financier. The Journal reported that the text was surrounded by a drawing of a naked woman, punctuated by a squiggly 'Donald' that mimicked pubic hair. Analysts were quick to pounce on Trump's denial, including Media Matters chief Angelo Carusone, who told MSNBC, 'I can think of three [Trump sketches] off the top of my head that were auctioned.' At least five sketches from the late 1990s and early 2000s have been sold at auction. Trump's take on the Empire State Building, scribbled in his signature black marker pen, from his days as a Manhattan real estate mogul when he was pursuing the prized property, which went up for auction back in 1995. The 12-by-nine-inch piece was etched from his Mar-a-Lago estate for a charity auction, according to Julien's Auctions. The signed sketch sold in 2017 for $16,000, according to The New York Times. There was another marker and pencil drawing from the early 2000s, in which Trump depicted dollar bills falling from a spiral-leafed tree, punctuated by a large gold signature. A placard on the back read that 'The Donald' was known for his 'outspokenness and media exposure,' along with his 'distinct comb over.' The 'Money Tree Drawing' sold at the North Carolina-based auction house Lealand Little in December 2020 for $8,500, the website reads. In October 2003, Trump drew the 'Cityscape Skyline,' this time entirely in gold marker pen, originally done for a celebrity art auction to benefit the Capuchin Food Pantry. Dated 2004, the Art of the Deal author depicted a scene reminiscent of the Riverside South development project in Manhattan. The drawing was sold in January for $15,000, according to Sotheby's auction house. Trump drew a more minimalist rendition of his New York City skyline piece in 2005, which sold at Nate D. Sanders auctions in 2017 for $29,000. The auction house stated that there was an additional variant of the drawing. In 2006, Trump scrawled the George Washington Bridge in black marker. That drawing, which was sold by Julien's auctions for $4,480 in April 2019, was described as an 'original ink illustration on paper' and 'signed in black ink by Donald Trump lower center.' In his 2010 book Trump Never Give Up, the president boasted that 'each year I donate an autographed doodle to the Doodle for Hunger auction at Tavern on the Green.' 'Art may not be my strong point,' he admitted.
Washington Post
23-06-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Media Matters sues FTC over advertising investigation
Media Matters for America, a left-leaning watchdog group that covers conservative media and tech platforms, sued the Federal Trade Commission and its commissioners amid a federal inquiry into its advertising practices. The group alleges the FTC has initiated a 'campaign of retribution' in violation of Media Matters' rights under the First Amendment, which protects the freedom of speech. 'The Trump administration has demonstrated that it will not hesitate to abuse the powers of the federal government to undermine the First Amendment and stifle dissent. This highly politicized FTC investigation is part of that playbook,' Angelo Carusone, chairman and president of Media Matters wrote in a statement. 'This is a significant free speech issue, and Media Matters will not back down from this fight. If the Trump administration is allowed to use this unlawful investigation to punish legitimate reporting on behalf of a political ally, then there is nothing to stop it from targeting anyone who stands up and exercises their rights.' In May, Media Matters said that it received a civil investigative demand letter requesting materials related to a lawsuit filed by Elon Musk, as well as communications with media and advertising groups, and information about its policies, among other items, The Post reported. Musk has publicly blamed Media Matters for major advertisers cutting or canceling spending on X, the social media platform he owns. In the complaint against the FTC, filed on Monday in federal district court in Washington, Media Matters wrote that FTC chairman Andrew Ferguson, a Trump appointee, is essentially carrying out a broader years-old 'vendetta' that Musk started against the watchdog organization. The social network X first sued Media Matters in 2023 for a report that showed ads next to pro-Nazi posts. The FTC did not respond to a request for comment. Musk recently left the government and has publicly disagreed with the Trump administration over government spending plans, though his Department of Government Efficiency is still active. Media Matters recently claimed victory in a similar case. In May, a federal circuit court ruled in favor of Media Matters after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton similarly demanded internal records. 'Elon Musk encouraged Republican state attorneys general to use their power to harass their critics and stifle reporting about X,' Carusone wrote in a statement at the time. 'Ken Paxton was one of those AGs who took up the call, and his attempt to use his office as an instrument for Musk's censorship crusade has been defeated.' In addition to First Amendment claims, Media Matters alleges the FTC violated its protections under the Fourth Amendment, which can limit the scope of broad-based government subpoenas. The group asked a federal judge to halt the investigation and any demands for documents.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Made for TV conflict': Trump and Newsom spar over L.A. immigration raids
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ordered a curfew for downtown L.A., as protests over ICE raids continue in the city. And frustration over Trump's deportation agenda spreads to other cities across the country. Jeff Mason, Dave Weigel and Angelo Carusone join.
