U.S. Representative Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) on Wednesday launched an investigation into the merger of the two advertising giants. anti-conservative cartel It has sought to end funding of news outlets, The Post has learned.
The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee sent letters to the CEOs of Omnicom and Interpublic Group – which were founding members of the left-leaning World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) and its now-defunct Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) initiative – as part of An antitrust investigation.
According to letters obtained by The Post, the committee ordered the companies to preserve documents and all contacts with WFA and GARM and to provide the information to the House.
In the letters, the House also demanded Omnicom and Interpublic disclose what precautions they have taken to avoid repeating GARM’s anti-competitive history, and disclose any politically partisan “brand protection” initiatives in which their company has participated. Is included.
The Committee requested that the reply be sent to them before noon on 7 January.
Revealed after investigation The Post’s Charlie Gasparino reports exclusively this week The deal could attract investigations from the Trump Antitrust Department, the Federal Trade Commission and the FCC over the agencies’ use of controversial ratings services.
If federal authorities can prove that a deal was struck by raters to lower their grades to please left-leaning executives in the advertising business, an antitrust case could be made out, the sources said.
Omnicom and Interpublic did not immediately respond to The Post’s requests for comment.
Omnicon’s acquisition of rival Interpublic, which was announced earlier this month, will create the world’s largest advertising agency with more than 100,000 employees and annual revenues of about $25 billion.
The committee is investigating whether major mergers would crush competition, particularly among conservative voices, as GARM found earlier this year.
GARM claimed that right-wing ideological platforms spread “so-called harmful content” and defame more than 40 major companies, including Adidas, American Express, Bayer, BP, Carhartt, Chanel CVS and General Motors, depriving them of advertising revenue. . letter and Previous reporting of post,
The letter said the ad cartel launched a widespread boycott of X, formerly known as Twitter, after Tesla founder Elon Musk acquired the social media platform in 2022.
GARM also attacked Joe Rogan’s hugely popular Spotify podcast, which hosted President-elect Donald Trump during his campaign in October.
GARM reportedly directed companies to divert advertising dollars away from right-leaning news outlets including The Post and Fox News, both of which are owned by News Corp.
The House committee found that GARM was colluding and suppressed conservative voices in mainstream media and alternative platforms.
Advertisement Cartel founder Robert Rakowitz summed up the objectives of GARM when he said it seeks to “ensure[e] We fund the voices we want to engage with, and close the advertising ecosystem to bad actors,” the letters state.
Hot finally closed in August Just days after Musk filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against the group.
Jordan declined to provide any further comment.
