# Definers Public Affairs **Definers Public Affairs** was a Republican opposition-research and communications firm founded in 2016 by Matt Rhoades and Joe Pounder. It became notorious in 2018 when the *New York Times* revealed that Facebook had used it to push research tying the company's critics to [[George Soros]]. ## Structure Definers shared staff and office space with the GOP super PAC America Rising and with NTK Network, a conservative news site; a former employee described NTK as an "in-house fake news shop" *[single-sourced]*. [[Tim Miller]] was a partner and ran the firm's Silicon Valley office from 2017. In 2017 it formed a joint venture, 3D Global Affairs, with the law firm Dentons. ## The EPA contract In December 2017 Definers received a $120,000 no-bid contract from [[Scott Pruitt]]'s [[EPA]] and filed public-records requests about EPA employees; the contract was canceled on December 19, 2017. ## Facebook and Soros Facebook expanded its work with Definers in October 2017. At Facebook's request, the firm researched Soros and circulated material linking him to groups criticizing the company. The *Times* published its "Delay, Deny and Deflect" investigation on November 14, 2018; Facebook cut ties the next day. On November 21 Facebook communications chief Elliot Schrage wrote, "I knew and approved of the decision to hire Definers," and acknowledged the Soros research request. **Current status:** a company database lists the firm as defunct *[low-grade, single source]*. ## RWKB angle Definers shows GOP opposition-research techniques — including the [[George Soros Conspiracy]] trope — sold as corporate crisis PR to Big Tech ([[Meta]]). ## See Also - [[Tim Miller]] - [[George Soros Conspiracy]]