The House Judiciary Committee is escalating its investigation into the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) amid claims that the group colluded with advertisers to block conservative news outlets from receiving ad revenue. Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) has sent letters to more than 40 companies, including giants like Pepsi, Adidas, and Shell, asking for documents and their stance on GARM’s actions.
Jordan’s letter details evidence of coordinated actions by GARM and its member companies, including boycotts of conservative platforms, podcasts, and news outlets. This follows testimony from Ben Shapiro, co-founder of The Daily Wire, who presented emails showing GARM executives using rules on “conspiracy theories” and “misinformation” to justify withholding ads from conservative sites.
The investigation aims to clarify whether GARM and ad firms misled their clients or if the clients were complicit in the exclusion of conservative websites. Jordan warned that such coordinated actions could potentially violate antitrust laws.
“GARM has strayed from its goal of promoting a ‘more sustainable and responsible digital environment,’ instead using its market power to silence voices it disagrees with,” Jordan wrote. He also questioned whether companies supported GARM executive Robert Rakowitz’s claim that the U.S. Constitution was an obstacle for advertisers.
The letters ask companies if they engaged in any collective boycotts with GARM, supported its actions against conservative media, or were aware of these coordinated efforts. Companies receiving these inquiries 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, listing The Daily Wire as “high risk” under “Conspiracy Theories,” even though there was no evidence of misinformation. GroupM CEO Christian Juhl struggled to explain these categorizations during his testimony and was later replaced.
The committee’s expanded 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.
