Major Forces at Politico to Exit in 2016

By the end of 2016, Politico will be bereft of three of its guiding lights.  Jim VandeHei, the co-founder and CEO; Mike Allen, author of Politico Playbook; and Kim Kingsley, Politico’s COO, will all have left for greener pastures.

Chief revenue officer Roy Schwartz is also expected to leave.

The three men’s exit reportedly was catalyzed by a contretemps between VandeHei and Politico publisher Robert Allbritton.  The Huffington Post quoted a source saying, “Robert had enough with them spending shitloads of money … Mike [Allen] was telling people that they are going to start a media organization together but it won’t compete with Politico.”

Allen’s loss will be costly; weekly sponsorships for “Playbook” have run between $50,000 and $60,000 in 2015, according to The Washington Post. In 2010, The New York Times referred to Allen as “the man the White House wakes up to.”

CNNMoney reports that VandeHei and Allen will not leave until the November election is completed; Kingsley’s departure date was unclear.

The three men’s departure follows the announcement that Politico’s top editor, Susan Glasser, will leave and move to Israel with her husband Peter Baker, who has been named The New York Times Jerusalem bureau chief.