Ryan Lizza will continue at Politico but shift focus to long-form pieces after the Olivia Nuzzi controversy
Lizza was put on leave last October after Nuzzi accused him of blackmail and harassment. They were engaged, but things went south when it came out that Nuzzi was involved with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his presidential campaign. Politico has made it clear that the changes in Lizza’s role aren’t directly tied to the scandal.
Jack Blanchard, a seasoned UK reporter, will take over the Playbook newsletter. Lizza’s new direction will include contributing more to POLITICO Magazine, as stated by the editor-in-chief.
The whole situation got messy when Nuzzi claimed Lizza hacked her devices and tried to blackmail her. Lizza denied these allegations, saying he found out about her affair with Kennedy and confronted her about it. Nuzzi later dropped her protective order against Lizza, wanting to move on.
Kennedy, who’s been nominated for a cabinet position, denied having a relationship with Nuzzi, while she admitted they had personal communications but insisted it was never physical. She regretted not disclosing the interactions earlier to avoid any conflict of interest. It’s a wild story, and it looks like both Lizza and Nuzzi are trying to navigate their careers after all this drama.
