Former Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA), who was recently sworn in as Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, announced on Monday that he was cutting nearly $180,000 from the VA’s expenses by canceling subscriptions to Politico.
“Ran across a $178,000 contract VA had with Politico and we promptly canceled it. That money can be better spent on Veterans health care!” Collins posted via X.
Ran across a $178,000 contract VA had with Politico and we promptly canceled it. That money can be better spent on Veterans health care!
— VA Secretary Doug Collins (@SecVetAffairs) February 10, 2025
Collins spoke with Newsbusters about his plan to cancel the Politico Pro subscriptions, telling the outlet that he was ushering in “a new day at VA” and adding, “We’re putting Veterans at the center of everything the department does, focusing relentlessly on customer service and convenience.”
“We’re working every day to find new and better ways of helping VA beneficiaries. That means cutting wasteful spending and redirecting resources toward programs that benefit Veterans, families, survivors and caregivers,” Collins added.
The VA has already taken actions to root out and terminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs and initiatives, a move that could save the department millions of dollars.
Musk responded to the news Collins had posted, saying, “Wow. I recommend looking at all media and software subscriptions for either full cancellation or reduction.”
Wow. I recommend looking at all media and software subscriptions for either full cancellation or reduction. https://t.co/0qALNqajZ3
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 10, 2025
Politico became a headline last week when it was reported that the federal government spent some $8 million in payments for Politico Pro subscriptions in FY 2024. Other reports indicated that the outlet has received as much as $34 million from various federal agencies for similar subscriptions.
The Politico scandal is worse than you think.
It’s not $8M that Politico received from USAID.
It’s $34.3M that Politico has received from various swampy federal govt agencies.
Politico is, without a doubt, a totally corrupt propaganda arm of the swamp.
Follow along below. pic.twitter.com/OxF7Zrc4GP
— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) February 5, 2025
According to other reports that followed, Politico was far from the only outlet receiving large sums either through USAID or from numerous other federal government agencies.
“It’s not just Politico,” Climate Dispatch posted via X. “The NYTimes and AP are also raking in millions in subscriptions each year.”
It's not just Politico. The NYTimes and AP are also raking in millions in subscription cash each year. https://t.co/GJ2PN3LhsN https://t.co/oxmwktz7xP
— Climate Dispatch (@ccdeditor) February 6, 2025
