Reports Suggest Politico’s Payroll Issues Tied To Loss Of USAID Funding

Politico’s inability to pay employees on time has fueled speculation about its financial relationship with USAID. Journalists on X have suggested that the media outlet had been receiving taxpayer money through the agency, with the payments stopping just as President Donald Trump cut off USAID’s funding and ordered a full audit of its spending.

Liz Wheeler posted on X that Politico received an estimated $34.3 million from various federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education. According to Wheeler, the payments began in 2015 and increased significantly under Biden. She argued that the financial support may have played a role in shaping Politico’s reporting on key political issues.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) expressed concern over the reported funding, questioning why taxpayer dollars were being directed toward a left-wing media outlet. Other commentators, such as Paul A. Szypula and Sara Rose, noted that Politico’s payroll failure happened shortly after USAID’s funding was frozen. Szypula suggested that Politico may not be able to sustain operations without taxpayer-funded assistance.

https://twitter.com/davidharsanyi/status/1887141357409505673

Journalist Breanna Morello alleged that USAID also provided money to other media organizations, including the New York Times and BBC. According to figures shared by David Procino, Politico received $32 million, while the New York Times and BBC took in $3.1 million and $3.2 million respectively.

The controversy erupted after Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, took control of USAID headquarters. Reports indicated that over 600 employees lost access to their systems and that the agency’s financial networks were seized. The White House accused USAID of using taxpayer money for political efforts rather than humanitarian missions, with some reports tying its spending to Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company linked to Hunter Biden.

Politico’s management claimed the payroll issue was a “technical error,” but many have questioned the explanation. Journalist David Harsanyi noted that Politico had reported on USAID for years without disclosing that it had been receiving taxpayer money from the agency. As more scrutiny is placed on USAID’s operations, further investigations may reveal additional media organizations that benefited from government funding.

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