Ex-Washington Post editor claims Jeff Bezos made ‘secret deal’ with THIS US Presidential candidate in order to...

Former Washington Post editor Robert Kagan resigned on Friday following a controversial decision by the newspaper to withhold its planned endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Kagan accused the paper's billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos, of striking a secret deal with former President Donald Trump, leading to the decision to drop the endorsement. The situation echoed a similar stance taken by another major publication, The Los Angeles Times, which also chose not to endorse Harris, sparking controversy and several staff resignations.

Kagan alleged that Bezos, who owns The Washington Post and Amazon, took action to block the endorsement to stay in Trump's good graces, potentially influencing the election outcome. Kagan pointed to a meeting between Trump and executives from Bezos's space venture, Blue Origin, which he claims played a role in the decision. The result was The Washington Post becoming the second major newspaper this year to choose not to endorse a candidate, a move that drew backlash from readers and journalists. In just 24 hours after the announcement, 2,000 readers canceled their subscriptions, reflecting dissatisfaction with the paper’s stance.

The former editor-at-large, known for being a vocal critic of Trump, suggested that there was a "quid pro quo" arrangement, meaning Bezos or his representatives communicated directly with Trump to strike a deal. Kagan claimed this alleged arrangement had been in development for some time. However, neither Bezos nor Trump has responded to these allegations.

Amid the controversy, Washington Post CEO William Lewis stepped in to clarify that the decision not to endorse any candidate was his alone, not Bezos's. Lewis stated that he had announced earlier that the newspaper would no longer publish presidential endorsements, in line with his belief that an independent newspaper should allow readers to form their own opinions without influence. According to Lewis, Bezos did not review or give any input on the endorsement draft.

The decision led to significant criticism from the staff, with some employees expressing feelings of betrayal. Columnist Karen Attiah, who resigned following the announcement, voiced her frustration on social media, saying, "I didn’t sign up to be a journalist to be silent on what matters most. We were betrayed today." Her comments reflected the growing discontent within the newsroom, where many believed the endorsement was being delayed while awaiting approval from Bezos and Lewis, only to be ultimately scrapped.

The situation has raised concerns about potential media censorship and editorial independence, with Kagan warning that the alleged collusion between Bezos and Trump could signal a troubling trend for the future of journalism.