“She had been strategically weaving herself into his world for months, using our friendship — a phony connection, fueled by self-invested interests — to infiltrate RFK’s campaign and feed information to his enemies while vicariously tracking his every move.”
With just over 40 days until the election, I certainly didn’t imagine myself sitting in a hotel on Wall Street, in the midst of moving my oldest son into his first apartment, drafting a response about a friend entangled in a political scandal involving a former presidential candidate.
As you know, my coverage of RFK Jr. has been largely positive, offering a nuanced portrayal of a complex man whom mainstream media delights in tearing apart. Outside of independent media, it’s been hit piece after hit piece for the past 12 months. For many of his supporters, my campaign coverage has provided a rare source of balanced insight — presenting an authentic interpretation of Kennedy and his messaging amid a storm of recycled, slanderous articles. Often, my writing has served as the sole counter to a barrage of media attacks designed to malign and derail Kennedy’s success on the campaign trail.
We’ve weathered our share of scandals: from Anne Frank comparisons to “brain worms,” discarded bear bodies to severed whale heads. Now, the latest claims involve sexting with a political journalist for whom he was a profile subject. Unfortunately, I have a personal stake in this drama, as I’m close to both parties — dragged into this mess, in part, due to my own faulty judgment. My instincts rarely let me down, but this time, I regret to say, they failed me profoundly.
Regarding the current “situation,” I hope you consider how difficult it is to publicly address a scandal involving a friend.
It all began a few months ago, in November 2023, when I unexpectedly formed a friendship with Olivia Nuzzi, the Washington correspondent for New York Magazine. Our bond caught the attention of my audience, who were mostly amused by the unlikely kinship between mainstream and independent media. She was the queen of legacy print; I represented typical mothers across America on the campaign trail. However, among friends within the D.C. circuit, reactions were more cautious.
“Nothing with Olivia is off the record,” they warned me. “She has a history of burning sources close to her.” General advice was not to trust her; I was told to tread lightly. Multiple insiders echoed this sentiment, hinting at her questionable ethics and erratic behavior. Yet, because she was so kind and engaging, I thought nothing of it. I let my guard down, believing that respect on her end was mutual.
I wasn’t familiar with Olivia Nuzzi, but soon after I posted one of my first stories on Kennedy, Olivia wrote her own version based on the same setup: a dilapidated van taking us to a long, winding uphill hike. Her portrayal was strikingly different. The image paired with her article depicted Robert Kennedy at the wheel, looking paranoid and tearful, with the van resembling “a death machine” where even his dogs as passengers appeared terrified.
Our pieces landed back-to-back, showcasing conflicting perspectives of the same man in the same scene. Mine painted Kennedy in a flattering light; hers was far less forgiving. When she shared her article on X, RFK supporters and my followers flooded the comments, decrying what they perceived as a hit piece. Amid this heated exchange, we ended up laughing about the feud, following each other and meeting in person for the first time a few weeks later at a yoga event hosted by Marianne Williamson in LA.
She asked what I was up to next. When I mentioned that I was heading to an RFK event in Ojai, her eyes lit up.
Like many impactful and dynamic figures in media, Olivia Nuzzi evokes a wide range of opinions. Some describe her as sharp, witty, and beguiling — a shrewd journalist adept at navigating the labyrinth of political power dynamics, with an uncanny ability to extract compelling narratives from controversial figures.
However, she is not as well-received by, say, those who read me or other alternative sources on Substack. Others labeled her as “fame-seeking,” someone who thrives on self-induced scandal and controversy, both professionally and personally. I chose to form my own judgment based on personal experience, as I do with anyone I meet with a debatable reputation.
Despite the warnings, I did not dig deeply into Olivia’s past when we met. I took her at face value, and initially, I found her refreshing and surprisingly supportive of me, a fringe journalist navigating the outskirts of mainstream coverage.
Her meteoric rise in political journalism began in 2013. While still enrolled at Fordham University, she briefly interned for Anthony Weiner’s mayoral campaign. That stint ended in chaos after she wrote an unflattering piece about Weiner for the New York Daily News, prompting his communications director, Barbara Morgan, to call Nuzzi a “slutbag” in an explosive interview. Morgan criticized Nuzzi's work ethic, claiming, “She sucked. She was clearly there because she wanted to be seen.” This sparked a media firestorm, but Nuzzi ultimately moved on, leaving Fordham early to work at The Daily Beast.
Her tendency to place herself at the center of scandals related to her coverage is undeniable. Adding to her controversial methods, she once entered Trump’s former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski’s home without permission. Olivia claimed that after knocking for several minutes and finding the door unlocked, she stepped inside briefly and snapped a photo of his foyer, later posting it online. Though criticized for trespassing, New York Magazine defended her, dismissing a legal threat from Lewandowski’s team.
Her personal life mirrored this chaos. Her now ex-fiancé, Ryan Lizza, a reporter for Politico’s Playbook, faced backlash for his own scandal: In 2017, he was fired from the New Yorker over allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct.
This week, another shocking bombshell dropped when Status reported on an “emotional, digital relationship” between Nuzzi and RFK Jr. from December 2023 to August 2024. Simultaneously, statements from both parties were aired. Nuzzi admitted to the relationship, stating, “Earlier this year, some communication between myself and a former reporting subject turned personal. During that time, I did not directly report on the subject nor use them as a source. The relationship was never physical but should have been disclosed to prevent the appearance of a conflict.” RFK’s team responded swiftly, releasing a statement that said, “Mr. Kennedy only met Olivia Nuzzi once in his life for an interview she requested, which yielded a hit piece.”
From there, a Twitter storm ensued.
The revelation was stunning — not just because of Kennedy’s stature but because Nuzzi was engaged to Ryan Lizza at the time. Lizza, in a statement to the New York Times, said, “Because of my connection to this story through my ex-fiancée, my editors and I have agreed that I won’t be involved in any coverage of Kennedy in Playbook or elsewhere at Politico.” Politico eventually included the story in Friday’s Playbook, without Lizza’s byline.
As this scandal unfolds, I find myself questioning the very instincts that led me to trust her as a friend in the first place. In hindsight, it’s clear our connection was anchored solely in her interest in RFK Jr. By befriending and infiltrating my inner circle, she could easily keep tabs on him as he (we) traveled across the country — something I initially mistook for simple journalistic curiosity. I, too, am a deeply curious person; I figured perhaps all reporters are wired this way. I saw no harm in sharing petty gossip about my experiences.
My husband was the first to voice concerns. From the beginning, he was skeptical of her motives, worried she was using me to gather gossip and leverage my access for her own benefit. I brushed off his concerns, but over time, I couldn’t ignore the signs.
As I reflect, my overall take is that I was a pawn. It’s clear that her initial curiosity toward Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gradually morphed into something more, to which I offered insight and proximity. It started with innocent questions about his character, policies, and public appearances, but soon escalated into an invasive fixation on his personal life. Olivia would ask me almost intimate questions about him and his relationships with staff and his wife after each campaign stop — who he was seen talking to, what his mood was like, and whether he showed any signs of flirtation. There was an undercurrent of fascination that went beyond journalistic intrigue, bordering on obsession. Her constant desire for updates, coupled with the tone of her inquiries, made it clear she wasn’t merely reporting: She was weaving some kind of fantasy. I could sense her emotional investment growing. In that shift, the gossip centered less on politics and more on tracking and dissecting his every move. I noticed that whenever I criticized him, pointing out what I disliked or disagreed with, she was quick to defend him. I found it odd. Her judgment as a veteran political journalist seemingly dissolved as the months progressed. She appeared like a dazed schoolgirl discussing RFK, having lost the ability to view him objectively — a red flag I noted. She had become a full-fledged Kennedy fangirl.
My suspicions were further confirmed when I noticed some of the gossip I shared began leaking.
Up until meeting her, I had managed to keep a tight grip on sensitive information. Suddenly, tidbits I mentioned in confidence to just a couple of people began circulating in mainstream circles, sometimes even reaching political assassins like Lis Smith, a high-profile Democratic strategist opposing my efforts. It became clear that someone in my life was betraying my off-the-record remarks.
Recently, I urged Denise, who had also grown close to Olivia, to stop sharing campaign information with her. “I’m sure she’s leaking whatever we give her,” I warned.
The August afternoon in Palm Beach was the last straw. While discussing Olivia's latest interview with Trump in the sunroom, a family member pulled me aside after she left. “Can’t you see what she’s doing? She’s using you for information. She isn’t interested in you; she’s interested in what you know.”
In short, I felt foolish for letting the situation drag on so long. While I appreciated our different styles and audiences, it dawned on me that her appeal — how she gained people's trust and access — was rooted in seduction.
As for the leak, I am not privy to the details of how it occurred, but based on what I know, I strongly suspect it’s what Olivia wanted all along. In recent weeks, she began dropping hints about reckless texting with RFK, each cryptic revelation feeling intentional, as if she hoped I’d press her for more — or better yet, leak it myself.
What I can relay, based on both parties involved, is that they agree on the basic facts: It was not an affair; there was no physical relationship. They met in person just once for an interview. It was, at most, “a fleeting flirtation.”
According to sources, Olivia repeatedly lied about the texts when confronted by her editors. Several see this as New York Magazine’s excuse to attack RFK, particularly as his recent alignment with Trump has led to a polling surge for him. With Kennedy’s endorsement comes a wave of support from suburban mothers — a valuable demographic for Team Trump. Amplifying a trite sex scandal serves to deter his appeal within this voting bloc.
Friends of Kennedy believe Nuzzi set him up. They recount that just two weeks after New York Magazine published her article, she made a flirtatious remark during a phone conversation. In response, Kennedy blocked her number. A few weeks later, Nuzzi emailed him, asking to be unblocked, claiming she had urgent information about a hit piece being prepared against him. He unblocked her for that conversation, but later that night, she sent him a provocative picture, prompting him to block her again.
For most of the next 8 months, Kennedy kept her blocked, except for a few occasions when Nuzzi contacted him from different emails and phone numbers, insisting he unblock her for urgent discussions about an imminent hit piece. Once unblocked, she bombarded him with increasingly pornographic photos and videos that he found difficult to resist. After brief exchanges, he would block her again.
Security expert Gavin de Becker is currently investigating the situation for civil litigation that Kennedy intends to file, as well as for potential criminal referrals. “This had nothing to do with romance,” said de Becker. “He was being chased by porn.” de Becker added that Kennedy had repeatedly declined multiple invitations from Nuzzi for personal meetings.
Another anonymous source (an extensive subject during Olivia’s coverage of the Trump administration) spoke critically on a call today about Nuzzi's tactics, questioning the ethical boundaries she frequently crosses. “I’ve never met Bobby, and I don’t know him or any of his people,” the source stated, establishing a lack of vested interest. They expressed concern about Nuzzi's approach, highlighting an unsettling dynamic in their interactions.
“Olivia contacted me during a period of significant political upheaval in the last decade. We spoke several times and met in person. Two things stand out: She’s undeniably talented — but she was flirtatious with me, and not in a professional way.”
Clarifying that the flirtation wasn’t overtly sexual, the source elaborated, “I’m not saying she was inviting me to sleep with her, but working with Olivia is very different from any other journalist, male or female. There’s a fine line between sexual seduction and informational seduction — and she crosses it. All the time.”
According to the source, Nuzzi employs subtle methods to create a personal connection — misconstrued words, friendly giggles, and telltale signs. The source emphasized that Nuzzi's tactics are not unique but have become a model for many young female journalists. “What Olivia Nuzzi has perfected has become a talent that others are emulating. Being flirtatious, being inappropriate — this is how she gains unique access. It’s problematic in the #MeToo era, where seduction can easily lead to damaging accusations.” The source mentioned Mark Robinson, Christopher Rufo, and RFK Jr. as examples of high-profile figures potentially targeted by these methods.
“Isn’t it odd that [RFK is] the first man accused of a digital affair? New York Magazine knows what kind of journalist she is; it didn’t matter until she crossed a line and sent inappropriate pictures to her subject. It didn’t matter until her subject was Robert Kennedy. No matter what it takes, they need to take him out.”
On the topic of RFK, the source continued, “I’m not a fan, but I’ve always read him. There’s no denying what a Kennedy endorsement of Trump does for certain voters. Suburban moms haven’t moved for Trump since the Access Hollywood tapes. Now there’s subtle movement, and it’s all Bobby.” And why are suburban moms leaning towards Trump with RFK’s endorsement? Because they are concerned about childhood chronic disease, which RFK takes very seriously. And Democrats know that’s bad news for them.
“Even if they can’t prove it, they must accuse him. Because they only have 45 days. Suburban moms are for the first time considering Trump because of his partnership with Bobby. They have to stop him. Dems have to do two things: Make it look like Trump isn’t serious about taking Bobby seriously [aka, like Trump won’t actually do anything to address childhood health issues], and make it look like Bobby isn’t a good person — character assassination to get the suburban mom vote. Accusing him of something that isn’t necessarily an affair but is offensive to Cheryl Hines is highly effective.”
Behind the scenes, many in health administrations reportedly agree with Bobby’s concerns surrounding vaccines, noting that, “What Pharma has tried and failed to do to Robert Kennedy — cancel him — New York Magazine is attempting to do, and they will fail too.”
Regarding Robert Kennedy’s New York Magazine interview, the source speculated that Olivia employed her typical style: “New Journalism. Do whatever it takes to manipulate your subject to get what you need from them, even if that means sexualizing the interaction.” They suggested that Nuzzi’s boundary-blurring techniques have propelled her career, adding, “She doesn’t know the lines, and frankly, I think she doesn’t care. It’s worked out well so far.”
The source concluded with a stark critique: “Olivia Nuzzi will manipulate her subject in ways that would make Walter Cronkite spin in his grave. She would have gotten fired if she got caught doing this stuff even 10 years ago.
“Here’s my feeling: Olivia Nuzzi has never known the boundaries of ethical journalism. She routinely violates them. When New York Magazine discovered they had a weapon to destroy Robert Kennedy, suddenly they found their ethics.”
I went on to ask: What does a journalist like this do when they get older, with a career based on seduction? To which my source replied, “We don’t know, because it’s the first generation of journalists doing it.” But they think she’ll land on her feet. She’s very talented, after all.
“I think what Olivia didn’t understand is that she could push the boundaries until it was somebody remarkable. But with Robert Kennedy — he’s handsome, charming, famous, and from a legendary political family — she couldn’t pull back.”
As for Bobby? “All men are foolish. They all fall for it.”
https://jessicareedkraus.substack.com/p/the-talented-ms-nuzzi
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