Sext scandal rocks US election as Robert F Kennedy accused of relationship with reporter
A star reporter, featured in hit TV show Billions, has been suspended over an allegedly inappropriate relationship with a presidential candidate as early polls in the 2024 election open.
US Election
Don't miss out on the headlines from US Election. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A star political reporter, who appeared on the hit TV show Billions, was suspended from a major American publication over an allegedly inappropriate “sexting relationship” with Robert F Kennedy Jr.
The bombshell claim is a blow to the campaign of Donald Trump after the high-profile endorsement from Mr Kennedy, who suspended his independent run in swing states but remains on the ballot across most of the US.
New York magazine’s Washington correspondent Olivia Nuzzi, 31, insisted a relationship with a “reporting subject” never became physical but admitted that communications “turned personal”; while she was still engaged to her then finance.
Mr Kennedy, who is married to Curb Your Enthusiasm actress Cheryl Hines, was made an honorary co-chair of the Trump campaign’s transition team with a key responsibility over personnel in a future White House.
A spokesperson for Mr Kennedy said he “only met Olivia Nuzzi once in his life for an interview she requested, which yielded a hit piece”.
The 2023 profile, titled The Mind-Bending Politics of RFK Jr.’s Spoiler Campaign, detailed Ms Nuzzi’s first meeting with Mr Kennedy, who she wrote “walked through the French doors dressed for his morning hike in blue jeans, a black hoodie, Keens, and an unfriendly expression”.
New York magazine said in a statement they found no inaccuracies or evidence of bias but regretted the “violation” of their readers’ trust by Ms Nuzzi, who had a cameo in a 2016 episode of Billions.
“Nuzzi acknowledged to the magazine’s editors that she had engaged in a personal relationship with a former subject relevant to the 2024 campaign while she was reporting on the campaign, a violation of the magazine’s standards around conflicts of interest and disclosures,” the statement said.
“Had the magazine been aware of this relationship, she would not have continued to cover the presidential campaign,” it continued. “She is currently on leave from the magazine, and the magazine is conducting a more thorough third-party review.”
While none of the parties involved directly named Mr Kennedy, he was identified by media trade outlet Status, which was first to report the “romantic” relationship that sourced believed began around the new year.
Ms Nuzzi and her former fiance, Politico reporter Ryan Lizza, 50, called off the marriage in recent weeks.
In a statement on Politico, Mr Lizza said he would no longer be involved in any coverage of Mr Kennedy “because of my connection to this story through my ex-fiancee”.
Mr Kennedy’s defection from the Democratic Party to join forces with the Republicans was heralded with much fanfare by Mr Trump.
But campaign insiders fear the impact has been at best muted, or at worst detrimental, after a string of controversies following Mr Kennedy, including allegations he beheaded a whale, ate dogs, and dropped of a bear carcass in New York’s Central Park.
FOLLOW UPDATES BELOW:
DONALD TRUMP BECOMES AN UNLIKELY POPSTAR
Donald Trump has unwittingly collaborated on this season’s new pop hit – They’re Eating the Cats which has rocketed into the top four trending songs on YouTube.
The remix by South African musician David Scott features Trump’s now infamous comments about migrants in Ohio consuming pets – a claim which has since been thoroughly debunked.
With more than 6.5 million views, the up and coming hit has already netted Mr Scott a cool A$24,000 in ad revenue.
However rather than keep the profits, Mr Scott is donating them to an animal shelter in Springfield, Ohio with the windfall set to help stray animals find a loving home.
FIRST VOTES CAST IN US ELECTION
The first early voters cast their ballots for November’s knife-edge US presidential election, as Democratic candidate Kamala Harris headed for a campaign event focused on the hot-button issue of abortion.
Three US states — Virginia, Minnesota and South Dakota — were starting early voting, a practice that Republican nominee Donald Trump has previously cast doubt on when falsely claiming he won the 2020 election.
Dozens of people waited at an early voting polling station in the centre of Arlington, Virginia, just outside the capital Washington.
A number had “Harris-Walz” shirts, while there were also some “Trump-Vance” signs in front of the building.
“I’m excited,” said Michelle Kilkenny, 55, adding that voting early, “especially on day one, helps the campaign and raises the enthusiasm level.”
Most US states permit in-person voting or mail-in voting to allow people to deal with scheduling conflicts or an inability to cast their ballots on election day itself on November 5, local time.
SECRET SERVICE ADMITS FAILURES
The US Secret Service detailed a litany of security failures uncovered by its review of the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump at a rally in July.
Shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to open fire from a nearby rooftop at the outdoor event held by Republican election candidate Trump, who narrowly escaped death and suffered a wound to his right ear.
The review “identified deficiencies in the advanced planning and its implementation by Secret Service personnel,” Acting Director Ronald Rowe said at a press briefing.
“While some members of the advance team were very diligent, there was complacency on the part of others that led to a breach of security protocols.” Among the failures identified by Rowe were poor communication with local law enforcement, an “over-reliance” on mobile devices “resulting in information being siloed” and line of sight issues, which “were acknowledged but not properly mitigated.” “At approximately 18:10 local time, by a phone call, the Secret Service security room calls the countersniper response agent reporting an individual on the roof of the AGR building,” Rowe said.
“That vital piece of information was not relayed over the Secret Service radio network.”
– With AFP
More Coverage
Originally published as Sext scandal rocks US election as Robert F Kennedy accused of relationship with reporter
Democracy without sausage: US elections explained
Ahead of the US election in November, here’s a look at how different voting in the land of the free really is compared to Australia.
‘Above the law’: Police eye gunman role in Trump plot
An officer involved in Ryan Routh’s arrest for ‘weapons of mass destruction’ reveals the would-be assassin’s ‘paranoia’, as investigators question whether he’s ‘part of a conspiracy’.