Media Matters receives millions from Democrat megadonors, leaked donor list reveals: Report

The left-wing group maintains its status as a tax-exempted nonprofit

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The left-wing advocacy group Media Matters for America is being bankrolled by some of the biggest Democratic megadonors in the country, according to a new report. 

The Washington Free Beacon reported Thursday that Media Matters, a liberal nonprofit often cited by legacy news organizations as a media watchdog, might have "mistakenly" identified some of its biggest donors in a November filing to the New Mexico attorney general's office. 

According to the filing obtained by the Free Beacon, Media Matters' biggest donor was Deborah Simon of the shopping mall giant Simon Property Group, who gave $4 million to the nonprofit. As the Free Beacon noted, Simon had been outspoken in her pledge to defeat former President Trump ahead of the 2020 presidential election and has collectively given $53 million to various Democratic campaigns and causes since 2018. 

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Media Matters For America has reportedly received millions from Democratic megadonors.

The next highest donation to Media Matters came from the Gill Foundation, which contributed nearly $3 million, according to the form. The foundation is run by tech entrepreneur and gay rights activist Tim Gill, a major power player in Colorado Democratic politics. 

Other top donors include the Stephen Silberstein Foundation, the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation and Bain Capital co-chairman Joshua Bekenstein and his wife Anita, all giving between $1.75–1.9 million, according to the Free Beacon.

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Media Matters was founded in 2004 by Democratic activist and staunch Clinton ally David Brock. Since its founding, Media Matters has built a reputation for organizing pressure campaigns against conservative voices it opposes, including boycott movements. 

Brock left Media Matters in 2022 to aid President Biden against House Republicans in their congressional probes into the Democrat. 

David Brock

David Brock left Media Matters in 2022 to help combat House GOP probes against President Biden. (Getty Images)

Critics have slammed Media Matters earning a tax-exempted status despite being an overtly political organization. It was the subject of mockery in 2020 when it received a federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan between "$1-2 million" from the Trump administration despite its constant criticism of Trump's response to the COVID pandemic, including the PPP. 

Media Matters made headlines in the fall with its war against X owner Elon Musk. The group published a report alleging ads from major companies including IBM, Apple, Disney, Lionsgate and Paramount were appearing alongside antisemitic content, prompting them to pull their ads from the platform. 

Musk fired back filing a lawsuit against Media Matters, alleging the group "completely misrepresented the real user experience" in order to mislead advertisers.

Media Matters did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. 

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.

Joseph A. Wulfsohn is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and on Twitter: @JosephWulfsohn.

Authored by Joseph Wulfsohn via FoxNews January 5th 2024