Arnie to end consulting work with fitness magazines

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger promised today to end his multimillion-dollar consulting deal with two fitness magazines that rely heavily on advertising for nutritional supplements.

The Hollywood star-turned politician was criticised for an alleged conflict of interest because he vetoed a bill last year that would limit the use of performance-enhancing substances in secondary schools.

But early today he said he would give up his title as executive editor of Muscle & Fitness and Flex magazines and forego any compensation.

“I don’t want to be paid,” Schwarzenegger said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

The governor was forced to defend his contract with the magazines after a securities disclosure filed this week showed he would be paid at least €815,000 a year for five years to act as a consultant.

“The decision is to discontinue the relationship we have now,” he said. “I will continue promoting body-building and fighting obesity.”

Last year, Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill that would have regulated the use of the substances in high school sports.

That led some politicians to accuse the governor of a conflict of interest: preventing the legislation that could hurt the nutritional supplements industry while at the same taking millions of dollars from magazines that relied on the industry for most of their profits.

Today Schwarzenegger said he wanted to leave no doubt that “the people have my full devotion”.

Schwarzenegger’s deal with a subsidiary of American Media Inc, Weider Publications, was disclosed in March 2004. But the amount he was being paid was not made public until the company filed documents on Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.