Nicholas Kristof and the Ethics of Campaign Donations

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof states he has no intention of running for public office again. This comes after he faced criticism for not disclosing that he reported on individuals who contributed to his Oregon gubernatorial campaign in 2021. Questions about unspent campaign funds have also arisen.

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. A requirement of Times journalists is that they avoid political activities, which include fundraising and campaigning.

Despite this requirement, Kristof retained campaign funds from his short stint in politics. Following reports by Semafor, the Times reviewed Kristof’s work, finding he did not disclose prior campaign contributions from subjects in his columns. They added editors’ notes to nine of his columns, acknowledging the lack of disclosure.

“The only independent press ethics expert who has reviewed my conduct related to these donations confirmed that my actions were ethical,” Kristof told Fox News Digital.

In 2022, Kristof transferred approximately $1 million remaining in his campaign funds to a new political action committee, Oregon Strong, managed by his wife Sheryl WuDunn. According to Rolling Stone, a significant portion of the funds raised for his political bid remains family-controlled. Kristof assured Rolling Stone that these funds would be used for job training programs in Oregon, and that Oregon Strong would remain nonpolitical, despite supporting then-Democratic Gov. Kate Brown’s job-creation program.

According to the Oregon Secretary of State, Oregon Strong has not yet contributed to any job training programs. From an initial $992,031 deposit from Kristof’s campaign in August 2022, prominent expenditures include a $100,000 contribution to Vision to Learn in 2023 and $2,000 to A Progressive Voice for Oregon in 2024.

The remaining funds, nearly $890,000, appear untouched. This balance, and contributions to political causes, have raised eyebrows among political observers. They question Kristof’s future political intentions and how his actions affect his role at the Times.

Regarding the PAC managed by his wife, Kristof noted he has not been involved with Oregon Strong since 2022. He also claimed to be unaware of the 2024 donation. He criticized the media for their inquiries, suggesting it was a ploy to undermine investigative journalism.

A senior Republican political operative expressed discontent with Kristof’s actions: “The facts indicate that Nick Kristof used his column to promote political donors without disclosure. It’s clear he’s keeping donor money against his vow and the Times’ policies.”

Previously, the Times also faced criticism for Kristof’s controversial articles regarding alleged abuses involving Israel, leading to further backlash.