MEDIA WATCH |

IAC, Your Subsidiary Hired a Sex Trafficking Advocate to Write Anti-Religious Bigotry

The Daily Beast hired Backpage “attack dog” Tony Ortega to write anti-Scientology hate speech. STAND responds.

December 13, 2023

Valerie Combs
SVP & Head of Communications
IAC

Dear Ms. Combs,

As the member of IAC’s leadership team most intimately concerned with the company’s image and brand safety, you should know that your subsidiary is publishing blatant anti-religious bigotry—and has hired a child sex trafficking advocate to do the job.

While this certainly isn’t the first time IAC has been embarrassed by The Daily Beast, the site’s latest stunt drops a seedy operation to what should be an impossible new low: To author their recent anti-Scientology propaganda, The Daily Beast hired Tony Ortega, a man who so vociferously championed Backpage—the largest online marketplace for child sex trafficking in the world—that The New York Times dubbed him the sex trafficking site’s “attack dog.” Backpage was shut down by the FBI in 2018.

Underage girls were gang-raped and murdered after being sold for sex on Backpage. Meanwhile, Ortega downplayed sex trafficking as a “nonexistent” “mass panic” and “national fantasy” in a desperate bid to keep the site in business. Backpage’s founders were criminally charged. One committed suicide before trial and the other was convicted last month. Until Ortega was picked up and paid by your subsidiary to slur our religion, he spent the past decade unemployed, running an anti-Scientology hate blog.

IAC’s investors would no doubt be as shocked as we are to learn they are underwriting a child sex trafficking advocate. We trust you and the rest of IAC’s leadership team knew none of the above, and that you will take fast action to remedy it now that you are aware.

Please let us know how you intend to proceed, or we will be in touch shortly.

Regards,

STAND League
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