Investigative journalist Laura Loomer attempted to use a scheduled meeting documented in FARA documents as proof that Just The Network, the parent company of John Solomon’s Just The News, as proof that the Qatari government controls the outlet.
Solomon responded:
Laura, this is a reckless series of posts worthy of Joe McCarthy. As our lawyers will soon make clear to you, your insinuation that JTN or any of its employees are engaged in a “money exchange” or a “pay and bribe” scheme with Qatar simply because they showed up in a FARA media contact report is demonstrably false and defamatory. Most times, a PR firm, lobbying firm or law firm working for a foreign power has a contact with an American media outlet it gets reported on a FARA report.
Just the News has appeared in such reports for Qatar and Israel. Why? We once asked for comment on an Iran attack on Qatari energy assets. Another time we asked for an interview with a Qatari official — which we got — to confirm the Biden administration asked Qatar to restore Hamas’s operating headquarters in Doha after the October 7 attack. It was a tip we got from Israeli officials and American diplomats, and Qatar confirmed. You can read that here: https://justthenews.com/government/security/tueqatar-says-biden-never-asked-expel-hamas-leaders-after-massacre-asked
Hardly the stuff of jihadi terrorist propaganda or Qatari bribery. Right now American media are likely seeking Qatari comment from its PR firms on the Iran talks. Those likely will result in new entries on future FARA filings. It’s a basic requirement of journalism and fair comment, not a necessary sign of terrorist sympathies.
You clearly don’t understand the purpose of these reports.
You also deceptively trimmed the form to show just a FARA report of a text message to Jack seeking a meeting. Had you shown the more complete form to X readers they would see similar routine contacts with Fox News, The Daily Mail, Newsmax, CNN and NBC. These aren’t on their face sinister. They’re usually just efforts to secure updates on international news. They also reported a contact on the same page as Jack with Secretary Bessent. You deprived readers of that information. They can see the form below.
Finally, you plastered my photo and the names of our brands on your X account with an insinuation we are bought and paid for by terrorist sympathizers, ironically, on the same day we broke a story exposing how Abdul El-Sayed campaigned inside Islamic mosques and centers whose clerics called America “Satan” and who prayed for “revenge” against Zionists. In other words we used our journalism to expose Islamist extremism, not enable it. In case, in your ignorance, you missed that story you can read it here. https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/democrat-el-sayed-courted-mosque-support-clerics-prayed-worst-revenge
I hope @elonmusk and @CommunityNotes correct your reckless inaccuracy. Either way, you will get a retraction request from our lawyers.
