The House Judiciary Committee is intensifying its investigation into the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) amid allegations of collusion to exclude conservative news outlets from advertising revenue. Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) has sent letters to over 40 companies linked to GARM, including Pepsi, Adidas, and Shell, demanding documents and their stance on GARM’s actions.
Jordan’s letter cites evidence suggesting coordinated efforts by GARM and its member companies to boycott conservative social media platforms, podcasts, and news outlets. This follows testimony from Ben Shapiro, co-founder of The Daily Wire, who provided emails showing GARM executives disparaging conservatives and using rules on “conspiracy theories” and “misinformation” to block ads on conservative sites.
The investigation aims to establish whether GARM and advertising firms deceived their customers or if the customers were complicit in withholding ads from conservative websites. Jordan warned that if these companies coordinated their actions, they could be violating antitrust laws.
“GARM has strayed from its goal of fostering a ‘more sustainable and responsible digital environment,’ instead leveraging its market power to silence viewpoints it opposes,” Jordan wrote. He also questioned whether companies supported GARM executive Robert Rakowitz’s criticism of the U.S. Constitution as a hindrance for advertisers.
The letters inquire if the companies took part in any collective boycotts with GARM, supported the group’s actions against conservative media, or were aware of these coordinated efforts. Companies addressed include American Express, Bayer, BP, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, General Mills, Goldman Sachs, HP, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Nike, PepsiCo, and Verizon.
Documents revealed to the committee show Joe Barone, GroupM’s Managing Partner for Brand Safety Americas, categorizing The Daily Wire as “high risk” under “Conspiracy Theories,” despite no evidence of misinformation. GroupM CEO Christian Juhl was unable to justify these categorizations during his testimony and has since been replaced.
The expanded probe by the House Judiciary Committee seeks to uncover the extent of GARM’s actions and their impact on conservative media outlets, emphasizing the need for accountability and transparency.
