Politico’s chief Washington correspondent and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza is taking a go away of absence after his ex-fiancée, Olivia Nuzzi, accused him of harassment and blackmail in a court docket submitting.
It was revealed final month that Lizza and Nuzzi had beforehand referred to as off their engagement when information broke that the star New York Journal author had been inappropriately concerned with former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Within the court docket submitting to Washington DC’s Superior Court docket on Tuesday, Nuzzi reportedly claimed in August that Lizza “explicitly threatened to make public private details about me to destroy my life, profession, and fame—a risk he has since carried out.”
“POLITICO and Ryan Lizza have mutually agreed that it’s in everybody’s finest curiosity for him to step again and take a go away of absence whereas an investigation is carried out,” a Politico spokesperson informed Fox Information Digital.
NEW YORK MAG PUTS REPORTER OLIVIA NUZZI ON LEAVE FOR ALLEGED ‘PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP’ WITH RFK JR.
Politico’s Ryan Lizza was positioned on go away after his ex-fianceé Olivia Nuzzi accused him of harassment and blackmail in a court docket submitting. ( Tasos Katopodis/Getty Photos for Nuclear Now)
Neither Lizza nor Nuzzi instantly responded Fox Information Digital’s requests for remark.
Nuzzi had been positioned on go away by New York Journal final month on account of the Kennedy revelation.
Nuzzi alleged the harassment started in July and accused Lizza of attempting to blackmail her into staying collectively, in accordance with CNN.
“She stated by the following month, Lizza had stolen a private digital machine from her, was hacking her gadgets, then anonymously buying details about her to the media,” CNN reported. “A few of the info could have been ‘doctored’ to harm her extra, Nuzzi alleged, and she believes Lizza impersonated ‘an nameless marketing campaign operative’ to present a political marketing campaign info that will damage her additional, in accordance with the court docket data.”
‘THE VIEW’ CALLS OUT ‘CONFLICT OF INTEREST’ IN NY MAG REPORTER’S ‘PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP’ WITH RFK JR.
Nuzzi additionally accused Lizza of tipping off her employer about her relationship with RFK Jr. presumably “by way of a 3rd occasion or nameless channel” and that he “threatened her with violence ‘to imagine his share of economic accountability’ for a joint e-book contract they’d,” per CNN’s reporting.
A decide granted Nuzzi’s request, briefly barring Lizza from contacting her. A listening to is about for Oct. 15, giving an opportunity for Lizza to reply in court docket, although he denied Nuzzi’s allegations to CNN.
“I’m saddened that my ex-fiancée would resort to creating a collection of false accusations in opposition to me as a technique to divert consideration from her personal private {and professional} failings. I emphatically deny these allegations and I’ll defend myself in opposition to them vigorously and efficiently,” Lizza informed CNN.
New York Journal put reporter Olivia Nuzzi on go away following an inner probe. (Photograph by Anna Friemoth, courtesy of Olivia Nuzzi)
Nuzzi’s relationship with RFK Jr. started late final yr after she interviewed the then-independent presidential candidate, who has since suspended his marketing campaign and endorsed former President Trump. RFK Jr. is married to actress Cheryl Hines.
It has been reported that Nuzzi initially denied she was personally concerned with RFK Jr. after being confronted by her boss, New York Journal editor David Haskell, however finally got here clear.
“Earlier this yr, the character of some communication between myself and a former reporting topic turned private,” Nuzzi stated in a press release final month. “I didn’t instantly report on the topic nor use them as a supply. The connection was by no means bodily however ought to have been disclosed to forestall the looks of a battle. I deeply remorse not doing so instantly and apologize to these I’ve upset, particularly my colleagues at New York.”
A Kennedy spokesperson additionally beforehand denied any form of bodily relationship and stated he had solely met Nuzzi as soon as.
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RFK Jr., married to actress Cheryl Hines, denies having a bodily relationship with Nuzzi and insisted they solely met as soon as. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Photos)
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“Mr. Kennedy solely met Olivia Nuzzi as soon as in his life for an interview she requested, which yielded successful piece,” a Kennedy spokesperson informed Fox Information Digital.
New York Journal stated in its assertion on the time that Nuzzi would have been faraway from her reporting duties on the marketing campaign if it had been made conscious of the connection earlier.
“Had the journal been conscious of this relationship, she wouldn’t have continued to cowl the presidential marketing campaign. An inner overview of her printed work has discovered no inaccuracies nor proof of bias,” New York Journal stated.
“She is at present on go away from the journal, and the journal is conducting a extra thorough third-party overview,” the assertion continued. “We remorse this violation of our readers’ belief.”
