BY JEREMY PORTNOY | REAL CLEAR INVESTIGATIONS
Topline: The White House subscribes to POLITICO Pro, a premium service meant to inform the public what is happening inside the White House, spending $16 million since 2017, according to a new report from OpenTheBooks.com.
It’s part of $44.2 million the federal government has paid POLITICO in subscription fees since 2017: $32.3 million from 38 different executive agencies and subagencies, and $11.9 million from offices in the House of Representatives.
Key facts: The Department of Health and Human Services is POLITICO’s best customer on the Hill, with $6.9 million spent on subscriptions since 2017.
President Donald Trump’s administration spent between $1 million and $3 million on POLITICO subscriptions during each year of his first term. Then, spending increased under President Joe Biden, reaching a high of $7.8 million in 2023.
The premium subscriptions to POLITICO Pro cost nearly $3,000 per person.
The Pro service is meant to help “lobbyist, executive, consultant, researcher, strategist, or analyst” get “the inside scoop on the public policy and players that matter most to you” with “elite access” from POLITICO’s reporters.
One might expect that having a job inside the actual White House would be a better kind of elite access than anything POLITICO can provide.
The government has not sent any direct assistance to POLITICO, aside from a $1,000 Covid-19 relief grant in 2020.
Search all federal, state and local government salaries and vendor spending with the AI search bot, Benjamin, at OpenTheBooks.com.
Background: On Feb. 5, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the more than $8 million the U.S. Agency for International Development has sent to POLITICO would be canceled by the Department of Government Efficiency. There was only one problem: USAID has only spent $44,000 on POLITICO subscriptions, OpenTheBooks found in its review of federal data.
The false claim originated with a social media post on X. It was picked up by online political commentators, and within hours was repeated by Leavitt.
“Upon coming out here to the briefing room, I was made aware of the funding from USAID to media outlets including POLITICO,” Leavitt said in her press briefing. “The more than $8 million in taxpayer dollars that have gone towards essentially subsidizing subscriptions to POLITICO will no longer be happening.”
Rep. Lauren Boebert also falsely claimed during a Congressional oversight hearing that POLITICO is laying off staff because its nonexistent USAID funding was cut, Will Sommer of the Washington Post reported.
Summary: Paywalls and subscription fees are enough of a nuisance in taxpayers’ personal lives without having them funding the White House’s reading material.
The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com.
Perhaps, Politico was one of the numerous “Domestic Awardees (Undisclosed),” “Undisclosed Recipient,” “Undisclosed,” “Undisclosed Awardees (Undisclosed),” Foreign Awardees (Undisclosed),” and/or the like that have a current period of performance or scheduled period up to 2030.
In recent years, Alaska has had a balance of payments on the order of 7-10 Billion dollars per year with the Federal government. That means that you folks up there receive that much more from the Feds than you contribute to them.
Pretty sweet deal, but it sounds like WAY TOO MUCH to me.
I think Musk should set his sights squarely on Alaska, and trim out, oh, say, 7-10 Billion just to even things up. After all, Alaska is rich with oil money, so they shouldn’t miss it at all. An easy win for DOGE, and also a WIN for Conservative Alaskans who want to see the fat cut away. CUT CUT CUT!
Agreed, feds should slash spending as much as they do in and on Alaska. All of the funding for native Alaskans should be reviewed, all of the military expenditures should be reviewed, all of the land that the feds hold that belongs to the state should be patented to the state as soon as possible, the remaining federal land should be reviewed and what the feds shouldn’t own and waste money on should be turned over to the state. While they are working on that they can remove the federal restrictions in place an allow Alaska to thrive economically as was promised during the Statehood Act.
Just doing those few things will save billions and in a few short years will result in Alaska providing more funds to the feds than we currently take.
Good thinking Whidbey, I knew you had some good ideas on how to cut waste and make government more efficient!
Exactly.
Whidbey the Dog: So, “You folks up there” indicates you are NOT an Alaskan, but a paid troll. Maybe others knew that, but now we all do. You might consider that the lock-up of Alaska, assisted by Uncle Ted of the Deep State with ANILCA, led he and his congressional acolytes to make up the shortfall with vast infusions of federal dough. Looks like Whidbey will now join the chorus of Alaskans who are SICK of the Green Lobby controlling our rich state. The Insiders are afraid of Alaskan economic independence because it can lead to political independence. But with a Trump-philosophy of “Drill, baby, drill” we won’t need to go our own way politically. WARNING: conservatives can’t win every election. We could be back in the Green Slow-Cooker someday again. Unless, of course, the Dem Party is destroyed and replaced by something that resembles … sanity.
Not a paid troll, but would happily accept contributions like MRAK does. Nope, unable to live in AK anymore for personal reasons, but wish I could. Spent 35 years there. It’s where my heart remains and where whatever’s finally left of me will be for eternity.
And thereby the reason for my presence here. I love the place, and hate seeing it despoiled by MAGA politics and cruel, hate-filled White Christian “Nationalism”.
Agreed.
The state press. When you think you have the right amount of contempt for them, you realize you are not even close.
Also, can we have that money back?
THAT WAS A BOLD FACE LIE! THE FEDS DID NOT PAY POLITICO! I CAN’T BELIEVE THE B.S. PEOPLE BELIEVE~!
This ranks right up there with the $600 toilet seat from a few years back – millions for TOILET PAPER.
Interesting.
Can you do a follow up about Pro Publica and how every news organization that got their funding banned any mention of Pro Publica funding in their comment sections?
I’m confused, MRAK. Are you saying that the 44 million dollar payout to Politico never happened?
That’s what I’m wondering.
So it appears that White House press secretary will repeat stories without vetting them. Boebert is understandable – she talks nonsense all day long but the press secretary has some responsibility to speak accurately. Just like Sean Spicer always did.
Personally, I think she’s a blonde MAGA-AI robot. I hope she can live with herself down the road. Oh, and it can’t be long before Trump kicks her to the curd like all the others.
Mark Twain said a lie will go half way around the world before the truth gets out the front door. MRAK always hides the truth in the 10 th paragraph while the headlines repeat the nonsense
Thank you Frank. I get so lonely here sometimes.
Politico is Democrat propaganda. Pure and simple. Another way for Democrats to fleece the public.
Very confusing and poorly written article. It should have been edited for clarity before appearing here.
Yes, if it was more clear, I might share it. Instead, I’m asking more questions.
hahahaha!
I love all the winning.
Please continue. It’s just not getting old.