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- New York Magazine has enlisted a leading media law firm to look into the situation involving Olivia Nuzzi and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- The investigation, conducted by Davis Wright Tremaine, focuses on her relationship with RFK Jr. during her campaign coverage.
- This controversy challenges NY Magazine’s transparency and the leadership of its top editor amid an election year.
New York Magazine is taking its time to determine the future of its prominent political reporter, Olivia Nuzzi, following her revelation about a relationship with former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. However, it is clear that the Vox Media outlet is serious about thoroughly investigating this issue.
During an all-staff meeting on Tuesday, New York’s editor-in-chief David Haskell informed employees that they have hired Davis Wright Tremaine for an independent inquiry into the matter. This law firm is well-regarded in media circles for handling high-profile cases; it has previously been retained by various media organizations to secure press access during trials involving figures like Donald Trump, Harvey Weinstein, and Sam Bankman-Fried. Additionally, it has represented major tech companies such as Meta and Amazon in legal disputes concerning TikTok bans.
According to two attendees of the meeting, Haskell briefly addressed the situation regarding Nuzzi and RFK Jr., but did not entertain questions related to it during this regularly scheduled monthly gathering that had been postponed from last week.
The unfolding scandal has taken several unexpected turns recently. In court documents reviewed by Business Insider (BI), Nuzzi accused her former fiancé Ryan Lizza—a Politico reporter—of making threats against her after their breakup and attempting to sabotage her career by disclosing personal information publicly. The court granted Nuzzi a temporary protection order against Lizza; he denied these allegations in his statement to BI (Politico shares ownership with BI). CNN had previously reported on these court filings.
The revelations surrounding Nuzzi’s relationship with RFK Jr. have placed New York Magazine under national scrutiny alongside its parent company Vox Media at a particularly sensitive time as they navigate through an election cycle without their leading political correspondent amidst potential fallout from this controversy.
Nuzzi was placed on leave at the end of September after editors discovered she had been involved with Kennedy while covering his presidential campaign; journalist Oliver Darcy first broke news of their relationship in his newsletter Status.
In a communication directed at readers, New York acknowledged that this incident constituted “a breach of our standards regarding conflicts of interest.” However, they also noted that an internal review found no inaccuracies or bias within her published work thus far. Employees were advised by Vox Media’s general counsel Brian Leung not to engage in discussions or correspondence regarding this matter with Nuzzi directly.
Insiders at New York Magazine have indicated mixed feelings among staff members—while some express support for their colleague amidst criticism over her actions—there are ongoing concerns about whether she can maintain her career following these events and why immediate termination was not pursued given what management described as violations of magazine policy along with calls for greater transparency concerning how NY Mag handles such issues moving forward.
The decision to hire Davis Wright Tremaine may suggest Vox Media aims to build a strong case for terminating Nuzzi’s employment; conversely if they choose retention instead it could provide justification now that they’ve secured legal expertise for review purposes.
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