Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, has warned left-leaning “media monitor” group NewsGuard he is prepared to use the power of his office in order to protect any Florida businesses he targets.

Patronis, in a Wednesday letter, stated that the company’s actions were in compliance with the “environmental and social governance” standards that the Florida Legislature will be targeting in its next session. He also indicated that his efforts to create “social credit scores,” which will lead to “debanking and deplatforming” private businesses, seem to be part of a larger push for “social credit scores.”

He explained that Florida voted against ESG standards because “as fiduciaries we cannot undermine those involved in our pension plan from gaining maximum returns in the name of politics.”

NewsGuard claims it creates credibility ratings for news and information for businesses. It also declares on its website, that it offers “online safety… while encouraging safety for readers and brands as well as democracy.”

Major advertising agencies such as Publicis Groupe or Magnite have used NewsGuard’s ratings, including Magnite and Publicis Groupe. These agencies use the rating system to block conservative media outlets receiving advertising revenue.

NewsGuard was founded by Steve Brill in 2018. He is a media entrepreneur and has donated to Sen. Chuck Schumer and former Presidents Barack Obama.

The Media Research Center examined Newsguard’s “ratings”, and found that it consistently rates liberal and left-wing news outlets as trustworthy and negative ratings conservative news outlets as unreliable.

An analysis of NewsGuard’s rating system by Media Research Center in December 2021 showed that the company received an average high score (on a scale from 1-100) from “left” and “lean left” news outlets. This was based upon classifications by AllSides which rates organizations on the basis of bias. The average score for outlets that were deemed right or left received 66.

Last month, MRC published its 2022 review on NewsGuard. It found a similar bias to its ratings. The recent MRC January report stated that NewsGuard, a discredited leftist website rating firm, had a year to prove its ratings system wasn’t biased against conservative media. But it is failing miserably.

“A new analysis has shown that liberal media outlets were rated 25 percent higher than right-leaning outlets on average. This shows how NewsGuard’s self-projection of itself as a credibility gatekeeper is complete nonsense.”

Joseph Vazquez (associate editor at MRC), who conducted the study, compared NewsGuard with the left-wing monitoring group GDI. GDI is based in Europe and has been criticized for its bias.

Vazquez stated that although NewsGuard claims it isn’t biased, their ratings are subjective and have the same goals as GDI to silence conservative voices and news.”

In a letter to the AFT last year, Rep. Jim Banks (Republican from Indiana), questioned the group’s neutrality. He noted that “the organization consistently gave high marks to obviously pro- and left-leaning outlets like Occupy Democrats and The Nation, which have published articles advocating progressive views on issues such as riots, property destruction, and socialism.”

He said: “These entities are not impartial, and any rating system that rates them as such should be scrutinized.” NewsGuard even rated several Chinese state-run media outlets higher, indicating that they are more trustworthy/truthful than conservative U.S. news sources.

Newsguard rates conservative outlets such as Washington Times, Newsmax and Breitbart negatively, Federalists, Epoch Times. Red State, Prager U. Daily Wire, among others.

Patronis, CFO, stated that he believes that the use ESG criteria to ban conservative media is undemocratic due to its use capital to encourage businesses to promote social outcomes.

He writes that Americans have the power to influence outcomes through elections. The idea that ESG can be used to bypass those processes is arrogant.

Patronis said that there are companies who have found a way to monetize ESG standard to create antitrust issues.

“I was made aware by NewsGuard that they are engaging in podcast and web space, telling conservative outlets to self identify as conservative outlets,” he wrote. He added that it seemed “silly” and implied that the organization believes that “people are stupid.”

Patronis stated that NewsGuard also promotes a rating system to assess the quality of information released by organizations, “as if you were some arbiter or truth.”

He continued, “As we’ve been studying ESG we have learned the tricks of the trade — your recent engagement fits right in with similar efforts to fund conservative organizations that are competing in the realms of ideas.”

Prager U is an online conservative commentary channel that NewsGuard has targeted as one of its targets.

According to Prager U, NewsGuard has partnered with Big Tech companies like Microsoft and Big Pharma (like Pfizer’s PR firm), government agencies such as the Department of Defense, and national teachers unions such as the American Federation of Teachers. They want to control the narrative about any topic, including climate change, COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, elections, Planned Parenthood and the WEF, to name a few. ).”

“NewsGuard censors media firms that don’t conform to their approved narrative. Prager U states that legacy media outlets such as CNN and The New York Times get almost perfect ‘credibility ratings”.

Patronis noted that Florida law already requires divestment from companies that engage “boycott divestment and sanctions”, also known as BDS, to allies such as Israel.

Patronis stated, “If your actions are against any Florida business, as someone charged with protecting Florida’s economy and economic vitality,”

“I have always believed transparency is the best disinfectant. I am ready to walk the talk when it comes to exposing organizations that tear down businesses and add zero value to the economy.”

News is available on its Twitter account.