The drawn-out dispute between Elon Musk and the progressive watchdog organization Media Matters could be approaching its end. On Friday, a US District Court put a stop to a Federal Trade Commission inquiry into the organization, which had accused Media Matters of working with advertisers and advocacy groups to initiate a boycott of X.

The FTC’s investigation began in May, but it can be traced back to a Media Matters report from 2023 that revealed ads on X juxtaposed with neo-Nazi and white supremacist material. This report was one of several issues during the chaotic initial phase of Musk’s takeover of Twitter, resulting in a significant withdrawal of advertisers. Musk then filed a lawsuit against Media Matters, claiming that the organization deliberately intimidated advertisers.

In June, Media Matters struck back by suing the FTC, asserting it was unfairly singled out for its 2023 reporting on X. At that point, the organization characterized the inquiry as a “campaign of retribution” directed by Musk and the Trump administration. Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan sided with Media Matters, branding the FTC’s broad investigation as “a retaliatory action” that violated the First Amendment. The court’s ruling effectively ceases the inquiry, though the FTC has the right to appeal.

“This case illustrates a clear violation of the First Amendment,” Judge Sooknanan stated. “Media Matters participated in quintessential First Amendment activities when it published an online article denouncing Mr. Musk and X. The Court determines that the FTC’s sweeping CID is a retaliatory measure.”

As highlighted by the New York Times, this case fits into a larger trend: the Trump administration has consistently targeted left-leaning organizations, from legal practices to the fundraising platform ActBlue, accusing them of fraud or foreign interference.