Ryan Lizza Alleges Olivia Nuzzi Served as RFK Jr.’s Media Fixer — From the Bear-Cub Carcass to an Alleged Secret Recording

Journalist Ryan Lizza has published the latest installment in a series of posts alleging that reporter Olivia Nuzzi repeatedly breached journalistic ethics by feeding Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confidential information and working to blunt or suppress negative coverage.

Allegations at a glance

According to Lizza, Nuzzi—whose reported relationship with Kennedy was described as primarily via phone—used her access to sources and reporting assignments to tip Kennedy off to damaging stories and to identify staffers the campaign viewed as disloyal. Lizza frames the pattern not as a sexual scandal but as "a scandal about journalistic ethics," alleging repeated betrayals of off-the-record and confidential sources.

Key episodes described

Bear-cub carcass story: Lizza says Nuzzi was "obsessed" with getting an advance copy of a magazine story about an incident in Central Park in which Kennedy allegedly left the carcass of a bear cub. He alleges Nuzzi already knew details from a confidential source and that, rather than publish or assign the scoop, she revealed the source to Kennedy and conspired to kill or blunt the piece.

Campaign staff whistleblower: Lizza recounts a separate episode in which a young campaign aide privately described the chaotic process that led to Kennedy’s selection of running mate Nicole Shanahan. Lizza alleges Nuzzi convinced the aide not to speak publicly and then relayed the account to Kennedy, effectively quashing a potential exposé and exposing the whistleblower’s identity.

Political support and strategy: Beyond passing along tips, Lizza claims Nuzzi advised Kennedy on debate preparation and wardrobe, provided detailed media-strategy advice, helped pursue Secret Service protection, and used reporting assignments to gather intelligence she thought might help Kennedy negotiate a possible endorsement.

Secret recording at Mar-a-Lago — a serious allegation

Lizza also alleges that Nuzzi devised a plan to obtain recordings from inside former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago compound. He says Nuzzi arranged for an artist to sketch Trump during a session and allegedly instructed the artist to carry a recorder that captured meetings with political figures. Lizza notes that Florida is a two-party consent state and that a secret recording there could raise legal concerns.

"[W]hat you have been reading about here is not really a scandal about sex," Lizza wrote. "But a scandal about journalistic ethics."

Context and responses

Lizza’s account builds on earlier allegations about Nuzzi’s personal and professional entanglements. Her reported phone relationship with Kennedy has been cited as a conflict of interest after she profiled him and continued covering other candidates. Nuzzi later left a previous employer, and her subsequent employer has reportedly been reviewing her conduct. Nuzzi has not publicly disputed Lizza’s characterization in detail; she did not respond to requests for comment for this piece.

What’s next

Lizza closed his latest post by warning of further allegations to come. The claims are serious and, if substantiated, would raise significant ethical and potentially legal questions about the line between reporting and political advocacy. For now, they remain allegations reported by Lizza and should be understood as such pending additional verification.