New York Times columnist says he has no plans to seek office again

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof stated he has "zero plans" to seek elective office again. The statement followed reporting that he did not disclose campaign donations from individuals later featured in his columns and questions about the use of roughly $1 million transferred in 2022 to a political action committee named Oregon Strong.

Kristof left the newspaper in 2021 to run as a Democrat for governor of Oregon but returned in 2022 after state officials ruled he did not meet the three-year residency requirement.

Internal review and disclosures A New York Times spokesperson said the internal review of disclosure issues is complete and provided links to nine columns that now carry editors' notes. One note states the column failed to disclose that a donor to Kristof's 2021 campaign later appeared in his reporting. Kristof said an independent press ethics expert reviewed his conduct and found it ethical.

PAC activity Kristof transferred approximately $992,031 remaining from his campaign to Oregon Strong, which is run by his wife, in August 2022. Public records show the PAC made a $100,000 donation to Vision to Learn in 2023 and a $2,000 donation to A Progressive Voice for Oregon in 2024, with no other major activity since.

Nearly $890,000 remains in the account, according to Oregon Secretary of State filings. Kristof said he has not been involved with the PAC since 2022 and was unaware of the 2024 donation. The New York Times Ethical Journalism Handbook prohibits staff from political activity that could raise questions about fairness or independence and requires sensitivity to potential conflicts created by family political activity.