Is This Why a Reporter’s Relationship With RFK Jr. Got Exposed?

What’s that adage about reporting? Don’t become the story. For New York magazine’s Oliva Nuzzi, she got thrust right into the eyewall of this storm after it was revealed that she had an improper relationship with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. She claims it was never physical. Still, whatever the case, it blew up her engagement with Politico’s Ryan Lizza. Not that anyone outside of the news industry or the Beltway cares, they shouldn’t since everyone has more pressing life matters at hand, but this is the sort of blow-up the political class lives for—and the schadenfreude has been remarkable (via Vanity Fair):

The new reports, which broke Thursday evening, are just the latest in shocking Kennedy-related headlines, along with his aggressive emu roommate, Kennedy’s ongoing attacks on life-saving vaccines, and the notorious brain worm. After Vanity Fair reported that a former babysitter has accused Kennedy of sexually assaulting her, Kennedy responded, “I am not a church boy.”

The reports regarding Nuzzi—which Kennedy has neither confirmed nor denied—come at a dangerous time for the mainstream media, the credibility of which has faced increasing attacks in recent years. It doesn’t help that pop culture depictions of real journalists suggest that unprofessional relationships are stock in trade.

According to Status’s Oliver Darcy, New York magazine placed 31-year-old political reporter Nuzzi, 31, on leave after she “allegedly engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a reporting subject.” Though neither New York nor Nuzzi named that person, unnamed sources told Darcy—which the New York Times corroborated—that it was Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., whom Nuzzi profiled last November (prior to the reported beginning of the relationship). Nuzzi, who did not respond to Vanity Fair’s request for comment, told Darcy via a statement that “earlier this year, the nature of some communication” she had with “a former reporting subject turned personal.”

Puck News reports that Nuzzi sent nude photos of herself to Kennedy, who since 2014 has been married to Curb Your Enthusiasm actor Cheryl Hines. Nuzzi had until recently been engaged to journalist Ryan Lizza, now at Politico, whom The New Yorker fired in 2017, following alleged sexual misconduct.

Regarding Nuzzi, Kennedy “bragged” to friends about the pictures, the Daily Beast reports. The boast reportedly made its way to David Haskell, New York’s editor-in-chief. In a meeting on September 13, Haskell confronted Nuzzi, who eventually admitted to it. According to Nuzzi, “The relationship was never physical but should have been disclosed to prevent the appearance of a conflict.” She didn’t report on the subject or use them as a source, she says, but she still extended an apology “to those I’ve disappointed, especially my colleagues at New York.”

Nuzzi has been dragged on social media. For those who need to remember, Nuzzi wrote a piece about the declining health of Mr. Biden, which reared its ugly head during his debate with Donald Trump in June and destroyed his re-election campaign. In July, she followed up about the widespread effort to hide the president’s declining mental abilities, including anecdotes about how Mr. Biden couldn’t remember the names of longtime friends at White House events. Is this why she was targeted, along with RFK Jr.? Mr. Kennedy dropped out of the race as an independent and endorsed Trump.

Ms. Nuzzi wrote an article about the open secret about Mr. Biden’s health. We’ve seen how the power brokers in this party attack their enemies. Look at what the Biden presidency has done to the Department of Justice, weaponizing it to surveil those sharing anti-Biden memes and engaging in pro-life advocacy while running interference in probes aimed at Hinter Biden’s tax troubles. Government officials are now going after Elon Musk for purchasing Twitter. […]

— Read More: townhall.com