House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) engineered some post-Independence Day fireworks by securing appearances from two executives whose companies are allegedly colluding to silence conservative voices in violation of antitrust laws.
Herrish Patel, President of Unilever USA, and Christian Juhl, Global Chief Executive Officer of GroupM, have agreed to testify Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. EST in a hearing titled “Collusion in the Global Alliance for Responsible Media.”
As previously reported exclusively, Breitbart News obtained letters from Jordan to Unilever and GroupM saying his committee has obtained documents showing both companies, as members of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media’s (GARM) Steer Team, are “closely involved in GARM’s efforts to boycott, demonetize, and censor disfavored viewpoints.”
Also testifying is Ben Shapiro of the Daily Wire, which along with Breitbart News and Fox News is a victim of GARM’s alleged censorship.
As Breitbart News previously reported:
GARM is an initiative of the powerful World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), which, according to its website, “represents over 150 of the world’s biggest brands and more than 60 national advertiser associations worldwide.” GARM was established in 2019 in Cannes, France – home of the film festival frequented by ultra-liberal Hollywood jet set elites – “to address the challenge of harmful content on digital media platforms and its monetization via advertising.”
The executives are unlikely to receive a warm welcome from committee Republicans, who have obtained receipts in the form of a plethora of documents and communications detailing GARM’s coordinated actions.
Breitbart has learned Republicans are expected to press the executives on GARM’s collaboration to silence, demonetize, and deplatform conservative voices and media outlets, potentially in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act and seeming to exceed far beyond the organization’s stated aim to promote “brand safety.”
Specifically, Republicans will zero in on GARM’s organized boycott to stop paid advertisement on Twitter, now X, after Elon Musk acquired the company, the organization’s threats to Spotify after popular podcaster Joe Rogan opined that young, healthy people may not need a COVID-19 vaccine, and its schemes to expand its methods into the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence.
Additionally, Republicans are expected to press GARM on its efforts to weaponize its influence by suppressing political advertisements, including from Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign.
The hearing comes as Americans’ distrust of establishment media and sources of information reaches its apex, with confidence in establishment media to accurately report “news in a full, fair and accurate way” reaching record lows in recent years.
Establishment media has taken a beating in the aftermath of President Joe Biden’s nightmarish June 27 debate performance, during which Biden struggled to finish complete thoughts or recall talking points, spoke in a raspy, barely discernible voice, and suffered numerous long, painful pauses.
After dismissing and ridiculing reporting on the deterioration of Biden’s capabilities to perform his job, establishment media almost universally began reversing course during the cringy opening minutes of the debate, verifying the concerns of millions of Americans that the media had not shot straight with them regarding Biden’s capabilities.
WFA’s reach and impact is remarkable, with the organization representing over 150 of the world’s largest brands and over 60 national advertiser organizations worldwide. WFA claims its members account for over one trillion dollars annually — roughly 90 percent of global advertising spent.
The Judiciary Committee has been investigating this matter for well over a year, initially requesting information from GARM and WFA in March 2023. It subpoenaed both organizations in May 2023 after they failed to produce any documents.
Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.
