Nandini Jammi, Co-founder of Check My Ads Institute, Steps Down Amid Legal and Financial Challenges
Nandini Jammi, the co-founder of Check My Ads Institute, a controversial organization known for its efforts to demonetize conservative media outlets, announced her departure from the nonprofit effective May 31st. Jammi, who described herself as "a marketer at heart," stated she will be launching a consulting firm, working with clients ranging from tech companies to non-profits. Her resignation follows a period of significant challenges for the organization, including a funding shortfall, impending legal battles, and a strategic shift in focus following the re-election of Donald Trump.
Check My Ads Institute, founded in 2021, gained notoriety for its aggressive campaigns targeting right-wing figures and media outlets, accusing them of spreading disinformation. The organization boasted of its successes in pressuring advertisers to pull funding from prominent conservative voices like Glenn Beck and Tucker Carlson, as well as impacting ad revenue for outlets like Breitbart News and Fox News. Jammi, along with co-founder Claire Atkin, framed their efforts as a necessary response to the perceived threat of online misinformation, arguing that neutrality was no longer an option for brands advertising in right-leaning media. Their tactics, however, drew sharp criticism and accusations of censorship from conservatives.
The organization’s aggressive approach has landed it in legal hot water. Rumble, a video-sharing platform popular with conservatives, filed a defamation lawsuit against Check My Ads Institute, alleging that the organization spread false and misleading information about its advertising revenue sources. A Florida federal judge recently denied Check My Ads’ request to dismiss the lawsuit, dealing a significant blow to the organization. Further legal action looms, with the brother of former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi also threatening a defamation suit against the group. These legal challenges, coupled with a dwindling funding stream, have placed considerable strain on the organization’s resources.
The re-election of Donald Trump appears to have also influenced Check My Ads Institute’s trajectory. Following Trump’s return to the White House, the organization quietly shifted its focus away from explicitly targeting right-wing content. Instead, its messaging began emphasizing empowering internet users to make informed choices about the content they consume and the data collected by digital advertising firms. This shift in focus represents a significant departure from the organization’s initial mission of "defunding" conservative media, perhaps reflecting a recognition of the changing political landscape and the potential legal and financial risks associated with their previous tactics.
The organization’s financial situation appears precarious. Despite having received over $2 million in donations and grants from organizations like the Ford Foundation and the Democracy Fund, and paying its co-founders six-figure salaries, Check My Ads Institute laid off its editorial team in December. This move suggests significant financial constraints, potentially exacerbated by the ongoing legal challenges and the need to adapt to a changing political environment. The organization’s website, which previously highlighted its successes in impacting ad revenue for conservative outlets, has also been scrubbed of such content.
Jammi’s departure leaves Claire Atkin at the helm of Check My Ads Institute. Atkin’s recent comments on social media indicate that the organization’s focus may now shift towards targeting Elon Musk and his platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Atkin criticized Musk’s handling of the platform and suggested that advertisers had left due to his actions. This suggests that the organization, despite its financial and legal challenges, intends to continue its campaign against what it perceives as harmful online content, albeit with a potentially different focus and under new leadership. The future of Check My Ads Institute remains uncertain, with significant legal and financial hurdles to overcome and a rapidly changing political landscape to navigate.
