Love Letters and Political Scandals: The Olivia Nuzzi Affair Revelations
A recent revelation by Ryan Lizza claims that his former fiancée, journalist Olivia Nuzzi, had an affair with South Carolina politician Mark Sanford years before being involved in a sexting scandal with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Lizza detailed the allegations in a post on his newsletter, Telos News, where he described finding an unfinished love letter from Nuzzi to Sanford, indicating a physical relationship between them. The discovery of this letter led to the end of their book project on the 2020 presidential election, as Nuzzi had crossed a journalistic red line by engaging in a sexual relationship with a candidate they were covering.
Lizza further alleges that Nuzzi was infatuated with Sanford and sent him increasingly risqué pictures and texts while fantasizing about a rendezvous with him. The alleged rendezvous took place at Sanford's home in South Carolina, during which Nuzzi claimed to be dealing with a crisis concerning her sick mother. This revelation comes after Nuzzi's departure from New York Magazine following reports of an inappropriate sexting relationship with Kennedy, which she admitted should have been disclosed to prevent a conflict of interest.
The scandal involving Nuzzi and Sanford occurred as Sanford announced his challenge to Donald Trump for the Republican nomination for president in 2019. However, he suspended his campaign just two months later. Sanford had previously made headlines in 2009 for an extramarital affair that led to his unexplained absence from South Carolina. Nuzzi's departure from New York Magazine and the subsequent public split with Lizza, during which she accused him of hacking into her personal devices, added to the controversy surrounding their relationship.
In response to Nuzzi's claims, Lizza asserts that they were false and part of a plot to have him imprisoned. He criticizes Nuzzi's upcoming book, American Canto, as a largely fictitious and self-serving account of the events. The book, scheduled for release on December 2, is expected to delve into the scandal involving Nuzzi, Kennedy, and the fallout from their inappropriate relationship.