POLITICO rejects claims of US government funding

POLITICO has been the subject of controversy on X this week, with some claims based on misinformation and others outright false. CEO Goli Sheikholeslami and Editor-in-Chief John F. Harris moved quickly to address these concerns and clarify company's position.

In a statement, POLITICO asserted: “We have never received any government funding — no subsidies, no grants, no handouts. Not one dime, ever, in 18 years,” Caliber.Az reports via POLITICO.

The privately-owned company, which operates globally through POLITICO.com, POLITICO.EU, and its newsletters, is funded by advertising and sponsorships, not by government money.

While POLITICO's core journalism is free to readers, its subscription service, POLITICO Pro, operates differently. POLITICO Pro offers a suite of tools designed for businesses, organizations, and some government agencies to track policy, legislation, and regulations in real-time. The company explains that this service helps subscribers remain informed and efficient in navigating complex policy landscapes.

The statement continued: “POLITICO Pro is about transparency and accountability: Shining a light on the work of the agencies, regulators and policymakers throughout our vast federal government.”

It went on to clarify that the majority of POLITICO Pro’s subscribers come from the private sector and span a wide range of political ideologies. “90 percent renew every year because they rely on our reporting, data and insights,” POLITICO added.

Regarding government subscriptions, the company emphasized that these are handled through standard public procurement processes, “just like any other tool they buy to work smarter and be more efficient.” POLITICO reiterated that these transactions do not constitute funding, describing them as similar to any other service the government purchases, such as research, software, or industry reports.

POLITICO closed by reaffirming its commitment to high standards of journalism, stating: “We stand by our work, our values and our commitment to transparency, accountability and efficiency — the same principles that drive great journalism and great business.”

To recap, on February 6, President Trump once again claimed on Truth Social that billions of dollars were “stolen” from agencies like USAID and given to “fake news media” to write positive stories about Democrats. He specifically singled out Politico, alleging it had received $8 million.

However, a fact check reveals that this claim misrepresents government spending. According to data from USAspending.gov, federal agencies collectively spent over $8 million on Politico subscriptions in 2024.

This includes $24,000 by USAID for access to paywalled content such as Politico Pro and E&E News, which offer policy tracking and exclusive reporting. Other news outlets, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, also received similar payments for subscriptions.

Trump's assertion that these payments were used to promote favourable political narratives is unfounded.

By Aghakazim Guliyev