The House Judiciary Committee is broadening its investigation into the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) amid allegations that the organization colluded with advertisers to exclude conservative news outlets from receiving ad revenue. Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) has reached out to more than 40 companies, including prominent firms like Pepsi, Adidas, and Shell, requesting documents and their stance on GARM’s actions.
In his letter, Jordan outlines evidence suggesting that GARM and its member companies have coordinated efforts to boycott conservative platforms, podcasts, and news outlets. This follows testimony from Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro, who revealed emails indicating that GARM executives used rules on “conspiracy theories” and “misinformation” to justify withholding ads from conservative sites like The Daily Wire.
The investigation seeks to determine if GARM and advertising firms misled their clients or if these clients were complicit in denying advertisements to conservative websites. Jordan warned that such coordinated actions could potentially breach antitrust laws.
“GARM has deviated from its original intent of fostering a ‘more sustainable and responsible digital environment,’ instead utilizing its market power to demonetize voices and viewpoints it disagrees with,” Jordan stated. He also questioned whether companies supported GARM executive Robert Rakowitz’s viewpoint that the U.S. Constitution was an obstacle for advertisers.
The letters ask companies whether they participated in collective boycotts with GARM, supported its 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 shared with 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 faced difficulty explaining these categorizations during his testimony and has since been replaced.
The committee’s deepened investigation seeks to uncover the full scope of GARM’s actions and their impact on conservative media outlets, highlighting the importance of accountability and transparency in advertising practices.
