The top executives at Politico are strongly pushing back against what they call “misinformed” and “flat-out false” claims made against the outlet over subscription fees that came from federal agencies.
“Politico has been the subject of debate on X this week. Some of it has been misinformed, and some of it has been flat-out false. Let’s set the record straight,” Politico CEO Goli Sheikholeslami and editor-in-chief John Harris jointly wrote in a note to readers.
“Politico is a privately owned company. We have never received any government funding – no subsidies, no grants, no handouts. Not one dime, ever, in 18 years. Millions of people around the world read our journalism on Politico.com, Politico.EU and in newsletters. It is supported by advertising and sponsorships,” they continued. “Politico Pro is different.”
POLITICO DENIES IT’S A ‘BENEFICIARY OF GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS’ AS QUESTIONS SWIRL OVER RECEIVING TAXPAYER FUNDS
Politico is pushing back at the “misguided,” “flat-out false” claims made against the outlet over the subscription fees it had received from the federal government. (Screenshot/Politico)
Sheikholeslami and Harris then detailed the costly subscription service.
“It is a professional subscription service used by companies, organizations, and, yes, some government agencies. They subscribe because it makes them better at their jobs – helping them track policy, legislation and regulations in real time with news, intelligence and a suite of data products,” they wrote. “At its core, Politico Pro is about transparency and accountability: Shining a light on the work of the agencies, regulators and policymakers throughout our vast federal government. Businesses and entities within the government find it useful as they navigate the chaotic regulatory and legislative landscape.”
They said the majority of Politico Pro subscribers are in the private sector and that 90% renew their subscription to the service.
“Government agencies that subscribe do so through standard public procurement process – just like any other tool they buy to work smarter and be more efficient. This is not funding. It is a transaction – just as the government buys research, equipment, software and industry reports. Some online voices are deliberately spreading falsehoods,” they continued. “Let’s be clear: Politico has no financial dependence on the government and no hidden agenda. We cover politics and policy – that’s our job.”
WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES DOGE IS CANCELING PAYMENTS TO POLITICO
On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt vowed any government payments Politico had been receiving will end as President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cracks down on spending.
“I can confirm that the more than $8 million taxpayer dollars that have gone to, essentially, subsidizing subscriptions to Politico on the American taxpayers dime, will no longer be happening,” Leavitt said.
“The DOGE team is working on canceling those payments now,” she continued. “This is a whole government effort to assure that we are going line by line when it comes to the federal government’s books.”
There was speculation on social media that the $8 million in question all came from USAID, the agency currently being targeted by DOGE co-founder Elon Musk, but only $44,000 of it came from that agency. Base Politico Pro subscriptions are typically between $12,000 and $15,000 for three users, according to a person with knowledge of the pricing and The Washington Times.
Government agency spending on Politico subscriptions pre-dates the Biden administration, according to USAspending.gov.
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