Judge Reed O'Connor Allows X Corp.'s Defamation Suit Against Media Matters to Proceed

Aug 30, 2024, 05:46 PM

A federal court has allowed Elon Musk's X Corp. to proceed with its defamation lawsuit against Media Matters for America. Judge Reed O'Connor rejected Media Matters' request to dismiss the case, finding that X Corp. had sufficiently alleged that Media Matters acted with 'actual malice.' The court found that Media Matters plausibly manipulated and intended to deceive X's advertisers, and that venue is appropriate. The lawsuit stems from a report by Media Matters highlighting instances where advertisements from major companies like Apple, IBM, and Disney appeared alongside controversial content on X. The judge, who owns Tesla stock, ruled that all three claims by X Corp. survive, allowing the case to move forward.