Reuters Took Over $1 Billion In Federal Contracts While Government Spending Spiraled

Reuters News & Media has received more than $1.2 billion in taxpayer-funded contracts since 2008, according to USASpending.gov, raising new concerns about media organizations benefiting from federal dollars. These contracts came from a range of government agencies, including the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In addition to Reuters, its affiliated entity, Thomson Reuters Special Services LLC, has received $120 million in contracts since 2010. These payments included work for the Department of Defense, sparking further controversy after the contract description referenced “large scale social deception” and “social engineering.”

The contract gained widespread attention when Elon Musk highlighted it on social media, questioning why Reuters was receiving payments for operations that appeared unrelated to journalism. His post followed a Reuters report that was critical of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), intensifying speculation about media-government ties.

Further scrutiny has also fallen on USAID, which has funneled taxpayer dollars into questionable foreign projects. Funding records show money being spent on diversity programs in Serbia, electric vehicles for Vietnam, and even a transgender opera in Colombia. Reports also indicate that U.S. funds were used to support poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, directly benefiting the Taliban.

As revelations about government contracts to media outlets continue to surface, Republicans in Congress are calling for a closer examination of federal spending priorities. The Trump administration has promised to eliminate waste and hold accountable those who have misused taxpayer dollars.

With mounting pressure for transparency, the role of federal contracts in funding media organizations is expected to remain under investigation in the months ahead.

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