WASHINGTON — The White Home stated Wednesday that federal companies are within the technique of terminating costly contracts with Politico after Elon Musk, chief of the Division of Authorities Effectivity cost-cutting initiative, referred to as them a “wasteful” use of taxpayer cash.
About $8.4 million in taxpayer funds had been obligated to Politico over the 12 months ending Sept. 30, 2024, in keeping with knowledge on usaspending.gov.
The present award quantity is $8.2 million, in keeping with the web site.
“I can affirm that the greater than eight million taxpayer {dollars} which have gone to basically subsidizing subscriptions to Politico on the American taxpayer’s dime will not be taking place,” White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt advised reporters at her common briefing.
“The DOGE staff is engaged on canceling these funds now. Once more, this can be a whole-of-government effort to make sure that we’re going line by line on the subject of the federal authorities’s books, and this president and his staff are making choices throughout the board.”
Leavitt stated the administration would make spending choices by making use of two standards: “Do these receipts serve the pursuits of the American folks? Is that this a superb use of the American taxpayers’ cash?”
Politico, which German media big Axel Springer purchased for about $1 billion in 2021, publishes specialised coverage and commerce newsletters on well being care, vitality and different matters which might be extensively learn by Washington lobbyists, legislators and businesspeople.
Musk on Wednesday morning slammed the subscriptions, writing on X, which he owns: “Not an environment friendly use of taxpayer funds. This wasteful expenditure might be deleted.”
The billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla indicated that further information outlet subscriptions can be on the chopping block as properly.
“Many media retailers are going to expertise a mysterious drop in income,” Musk wrote.
A Politico spokesman didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
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