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Politico’s Playbook Gets a Shake-Up After Nuzzi-RFK Jr. Scandal

Ryan Lizza, the newsletter’s co-author and Nuzzi’s ex-fiancé, took a leave of absence after the scandal erupted.

Politico just announced veteran U.K. reporter Jack Blanchard will take up the helm at the publication’s Playbook newsletter. Blanchard, who founded the publication’s London Playbook, will become the lead author and managing editor of Politico’s flagship Washington, D.C. newsletter, Editor-in-Chief John Harris announced in Monday’s daily email. Blanchard’s appointment comes after the outlet’s Chief Washington Correspondent and Playbook Co-Author Ryan Lizza took a leave of absence in the wake of the sexting scandal between his former fiancée—erstwhile New York Magazine star reporter Olivia Nuzzi—and incoming Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. broke in September. Lizza’s absence came as Politico investigated claims of blackmail and harassment that Nuzzi made against him in a court filing seeking a civil protection order weeks after the scandal emerged. Lizza always denied the allegations and Nuzzi withdrew her protective order request in November. A Politico spokesperson told The Daily Beast that the shake-up at Playbook was unrelated to the saga. “For more than a decade now, there has been a new stewardship of Playbook with a change of Administration. A new Playbook for a new Washington,” the spokesperson said. “Separately, Ryan has been on leave since October and is returning as Chief White House Correspondent.” Harris wrote in the Playbook email Monday that Lizza will have a “special emphasis on contributing to POLITICO Magazine,” going forward.