The increasingly moribund Washington bureau of the New York Times is getting a huge new boost of fresh, creative energy as the Chicaco Tribune’s Jeff Zeleny joins the Times to “to cover the intersection of politics and money and to tackle investigative projects about political corruption,” according to Times DC bureau chief, Phil Taubman.
Zeleny’s political coverage of the 2004 presidential contest was always a must-read, and he brings some star power to match Anne Kornblut, now basically covering Team Hillary in the runup to ’08.
Here’s the press release from Taubman:
I’m pleased to let you know that Jeff Zeleny of The Chicago Tribune will be joining the bureau later this month to cover the intersection of politics and money and to tackle investigative projects about political corruption. Those of you who have competed with Jeff on political coverage in recent years know he is one of the most enterprising, skilled reporters in Washington, as well as a fine writer. If you don’t know Jeff or his work, take a look at his lively, revealing coverage of Senator Barack Obama.
Jeff has been The Trib’s national political correspondent since 2001. Before that, he was a general assignment reporter. He was a member of The Trib team that won the Pulitzer Prize in explanatory journalism for documenting gridlock in the nation’s air traffic system. Jeff, a Nebraska native, started his career at The Des Moines Register.