Michaela
Politico staff have been eΡ periencing delays in their bi-weekly direΡt deposits this week, sparking speculation that Elon Muskβs efforts to curb government spending may have contributed to the issue.
According to Fox News Digital, an employee shared that management did not address the issue until 9 a.m., attributing the delay to a βtechnical error.β The Politico employee further stated that as staff members grew increasingly anxious, many concerns remained unanswered.
On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that Politico, a U.S.-based news outlet, has been receiving government funding β suΡport that is set to end as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) moves to tighten spending.
Politico has received at least $8.2 million in funding from the U.S. government in recent years, including $44,000 from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), according to USAspending.gov. Musk, now overseeing Trumpβs DOGE, announced plans to reduce funding for USAID as part of broader spending cuts.
“Upon coming out here to the briefing room, I was made aware of the funding from USAID to media outlets, including Politico, who I know has a seat in this room, and I can confirm that the more than $8 million taxpaΡer dollars that have gone to, essentially, subsidizing subscriptions to Politico on the American taxpayers dime, will no longer be happening,” LΠ΅avitt said.
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“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 governmentβs books.”
Is DOGE Responsible?
Many employees suspect a link between the delayed paychecks and the governmentβs efforts to cut excessive spending. βPolitico screwed a lot of people,β the employee said.
Although Politico received payments from USAID for its high-priced subscription service, it was far from the largest government contributor. According to USAspending.gov, the Department of Health and Human Services provided the most funding, totaling $1.37 million, followed closely by the Department of the Interior with $1.35 million.
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Additional contributions include $1.29 million from the Department of Energy, $552,024 from the Department of Agriculture, Π°nd $485,572 from the Department of Commerce.
In a post on X, Musk responded to a claim that the Department of Health and Human Services had spent approximately $500,000 on a Politico Pro subscription. βThis is odd,β Musk wrote.
Debate spread across social media as users reacted to claims that the government had been financially supporting Politico. Some argued that the news outlet offers a high-cost subscription service widely used by government employees.
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MICHAELA
Michaela is a news writer focused on cryptocurrency and blockchain topics. She prioritizes rigorous research and accuracy to uncover interesting angles and ensurΠ΅ engaging reporting. A lifelong book lover, she applies her passion for reading to deeply explore the constantly evolving crypto world.
