The Trump administration ordered a essential company that assists different authorities departments to cancel all of its media contracts amid outrage over federal tax {dollars} flowing to information shops, in keeping with a report.
A White Home official made the request to the Basic Companies Administration in an e-mail obtained by Axios Thursday.
“GSA crew, please do two issues,” the official reportedly wrote. “Pull all contracts for Politico, BBC, E&E (Politico sub) and Bloomberg.
“Pull all media contracts for simply GSA – cancel each single media contract as we speak for GSA solely,” the e-mail learn, in keeping with the report.
The GSA is an unbiased company that, amongst different issues, manages federal property for various companies and helps to make sure authorities operations are environment friendly, in keeping with its web site.
The reported directions from the White Home have been delivered after Elon Musk’s and his Division of Authorities Effectivity crew highlighted tens of millions of {dollars} in Politico Professional subscriptions that have been paid with federal funds.
Politico Professional is a well-liked service in DC that tracks “coverage, laws and rules in actual time with information, intelligence and a set of knowledge merchandise,” the corporate mentioned.
On Wednesday, White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt introduced the Trump administration would cease paying for the subscriptions after the federal government funneled greater than $8 million to the web web site.
“The DOGE crew is engaged on canceling these funds now,” she mentioned throughout a press briefing.
“Once more, it is a whole-of-government effort to make sure that we’re going line by line relating to the federal authorities’s books, and this president and his crew are making choices throughout the board.”
President Trump, in a Fact Social submit, claimed the cash to Politico was a “payoff” so the outlet would write constructive tales about Democrats.
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene weighed in on the controversy Wednesday, arguing on X that information shops “that do nothing however bash President Trump and his supporters to push their extremely partisan political agenda shouldn’t obtain sponsored subscriptions.”
Politico CEO Goli Sheikholeslami and Editor-in-Chief John Harris tried to set the report straight in a letter to readers.
The pair insisted the publication doesn’t obtain any authorities subsidies.
“It’s a transaction — simply as the federal government buys analysis, gear, software program and trade reviews,” they wrote Thursday.
“Some on-line voices are intentionally spreading falsehoods. Let’s be clear: Politico has no monetary dependence on the federal government and no hidden agenda. We cowl politics and coverage — that’s our job.”
An e-mail to the White Home late Thursday night time asking for affirmation of the Axios report was not instantly returned.
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