New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof has stated he has “zero plans” to pursue elected office again, following scrutiny over financial matters related to his past gubernatorial campaign and recent controversies surrounding his reporting.
Kristof briefly left The Times in 2021 to run for governor of Oregon as a Democrat. He returned to the newspaper in 2022 after being deemed ineligible due to the state's three-year residency requirement. The Times' policy prohibits journalists from engaging in political activities such as campaigning or fundraising. During his short-lived campaign, Kristof raised a significant amount of funds, leaving a substantial sum unused.
Recently, The Times reviewed Kristof's work after reports surfaced that he failed to disclose when subjects of his columns had donated to his gubernatorial campaign. A spokesperson for The Times confirmed that an internal review is complete and that nine of Kristof's columns have since been updated with editors' notes regarding these disclosures. Kristof maintained that an independent press ethics expert found his conduct related to campaign donations to be ethical.
In 2022, approximately $1 million from Kristof's campaign war chest was transferred to a political action committee named Oregon Strong, which is reportedly run by his wife, Sheryl WuDunn. Kristof told Rolling Stone at the time that the funds would be used for job training programs in Oregon and that the PAC would be "nonpolitical," despite a stated intention to support the then-Democratic Governor Kate Brown's job-creation initiatives. According to records from the Oregon Secretary of State, Oregon Strong has made limited expenditures since receiving the deposit in August 2022, including a $100,000 donation to Vision to Learn in 2023 and a $2,000 donation to A Progressive Voice for Oregon in 2024. The remaining balance in the PAC is nearly $890,000, with no recorded activity since early 2024.
Kristof distanced himself from Oregon Strong, telling Fox News Digital that he has not been involved with the PAC since 2022 and was unaware of a recent donation. He criticized media outlets for their inquiries, suggesting it was a "bad-faith effort to discredit investigative journalism."
His comments come after a recent opinion column addressing allegations of sexual abuse by Israeli authorities against Palestinians, which drew criticism and claims of propaganda. The Israeli government has indicated it may take legal action. Kristof suggested that the criticism he faces is linked to this column, stating, "This issue has been raised only to attack me for an article I wrote recently about Palestinians being raped in Israeli prisons."
Political observers and critics have raised concerns about Kristof's past actions and their implications for his role at The Times. A senior Republican political operative claimed that Kristof used his column to promote political donors without disclosure and suggested that the handling of campaign funds violates his and The Times' ethical standards.
The New York Times' Ethical Journalism Handbook prohibits staff members from engaging in activities that could compromise journalistic fairness and independence, including campaigning, endorsing candidates, or soliciting funds for political causes. The handbook also notes that political activities by spouses or family members can create actual or perceived conflicts of interest.