New York Magazine’s star Washington correspondent Olivia Nuzzi is on leave after admitting she failed to disclose a “personal relationship” with an unnamed campaign subject, who several sources have identified as former independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“Had the magazine been aware of this relationship, she would not have continued to cover the presidential campaign,” the magazine said in a statement, adding that after a review of her work, it found “no inaccuracies nor evidence of bias,” reports NBC News on Friday.
The magazine said Nuzzi is on leave while a “more thorough third-party review” is underway and that it regrets “this violation of our readers’ trust.”
Nuzzi said in a statement to The New York Times on Thursday that “some communication between myself and a former reporting subject turned personal” earlier this year. She did not elaborate on the exact nature of the relationship or specifically name Kennedy.
Stefanie Spear, a Kennedy spokesperson, said in a statement to NBC News that he had “only met Olivia Nuzzi once in his life for an interview she requested, which yielded a hit piece.” She did not elaborate further.
The New York Times reported that an unnamed source believed to be familiar with the matter said the relationship was with Kennedy, who dropped his race for president in August and has endorsed former President Donald Trump.