One of the most shocking revelations to emerge from the USAID funding scandal is how deep taxpayer dollars have flowed—not just into progressive NGOs pushing woke agendas abroad, but also into major Western media outlets. Among them? Politico, a go-to news source for Washington and Brussels’ liberal elite.
Suspicions first arose when Politico suddenly struggled to pay its employees right after the Trump administration cut USAID funding, which had been financing projects like diversity training in Sri Lanka and LGBT activism in Guatemala. Then, on February 5, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed what many had feared: the Biden administration had poured “more than $8 million” into Politico through premium subscriptions—effectively subsidizing the outlet with taxpayer money.
Government records show Washington awarded Politico $8.2 million in 2024 alone. Since 2015, the figure has skyrocketed to $34.3 million across 1,300 transactions. Notably, the company’s first government payments appeared in late 2015, with funding surging during the 2016 and 2020 election cycles before peaking under Biden in 2024. Even in the first few weeks of 2025, the outgoing administration funneled another $1.5 million its way.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) emerged as the biggest “subscriber,” awarding nearly $7 million in total. Its subsidiaries, the FDA and CDC, also ranked among the top funders, alongside the Executive Office of the President, which paid Politico $2.2 million directly.
Unsurprisingly, critics have pointed to the outlet’s unwavering alignment with establishment narratives. Conservative commentator Liz Wheeler slammed the situation on X, saying, “No wonder Politico’s coverage mirrored the swamp. They pushed the lie that Hunter Biden’s laptop was Russian disinfo—a deception that altered the 2020 election.”
It remains unclear whether these funds also benefited Politico’s European branch, headquartered in Brussels. Questions remain about whether Politico.eu received direct U.S. government financing or even funding from the EU itself. When asked for clarification, Politico remained silent.
Meanwhile, European conservative politicians—frequent targets of Politico’s reporting—are feeling vindicated. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whom Politico once dubbed “disruptor of the year,” didn’t miss the chance to hit back, pointing out the irony of a U.S.-funded media outlet accusing others of foreign interference.
Orbán also noted that Hungary’s left-wing media has received millions from groups like USAID and Action for Democracy—organizations that even illegally funded the opposition’s campaign in Hungary’s 2022 election. That interference led his government to pass the Defense of Sovereignty Law, now under legal attack by the EU Commission.
The tangled web of government influence over supposedly independent media is raising serious concerns—and this is just the beginning of what could be a far bigger story.
