Summarised by Centrist
Politico has been propped up by millions of dollars in US government funding, according to a White House confirmation that raises serious concerns about media independence.
During a Wednesday press briefing, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt advised that millions in taxpayer money had been used to subsidise Politico, a left-leaning mainstream publication.
Total government payments reportedly reached as high as USD $32 million (NZD $56 million) in the 4 years under the Biden administration.
The revelation comes after Politico failed to pay its staff due to a supposed “technical error,” prompting online investigations into its funding sources.
According to USASPENDING.gov, multiple US government agencies directed funds to Politico, a publication that has played a central role in shaping key political narratives—including laundering the Hunter Biden laptop disinformation campaign by citing 51 former intelligence officials, and amplifying the illegal Supreme Court leak that led to assassination attempts on US conservative justices.
Politico is owned by the German media conglomerate Axel Springer, which purchased it for USD $1 billion in 2021 (NZD $1.76 billion).
