The celebrity news organization TMZ established a new Washington, D.C., bureau in April, shifting its focus from Hollywood entertainment toward coverage of the U.S. Congress. A two-person reporting team, consisting of producer Charlie Cotton and Jacob Wasserman, has begun applying the outlet's tabloid-style reporting to elected officials. The bureau aims to reach readers who may not typically follow political news by blending humor and personal questions with traditional reporting.
The expansion followed a viral incident during a partial government shutdown in June 2026. After TMZ founder Harvey Levin requested public photos of vacationing members of Congress, a picture of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) at Disney World gained significant online attention. Cotton reported that the reaction to the photo prompted Levin to launch the D.C. bureau immediately.
The D.C.-based crew has used an unconventional interview style that includes asking Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) about his Australian heritage at Reagan Washington National Airport and questioning Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) about a noise heard on the Senate floor. While Schumer declined to comment on the incident, other lawmakers, including Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), have engaged with the reporters on topics ranging from military spending legislation to personal cosmetic procedures.
The scale of this shift is reflected in the high level of engagement reported by the bureau, which claims to have received an "enormous response" from congressional staffers and lawmakers following segments on D.C. social life. While traditional news organizations typically avoid paying for exclusive content, TMZ has historically operated under different rules, such as purchasing photos. This approach introduces a different set of reporting standards to the Capitol Hill press corps, a change that Syracuse University professor Robert Thompson notes is receiving a "disproportionate amount of attention" during a period of declining trust in traditional media.
For the average citizen, this means political figures may increasingly be encountered in formats that prioritize humor and "lowbrow" personality traits over policy analysis. This could lead to a change in how lawmakers manage their public personas, as the TMZ team encourages them to "play along" with entertainment-focused queries to appear more relatable. The bureau intends to continue competing for major news breaks that "move the needle," suggesting that tabloid-style reporting will remain a consistent presence in D.C. coverage throughout the 2026 midterm election cycle and beyond.
What happens next: The D.C. bureau will continue its coverage through the 2026 midterm elections, including high-profile races such as the Georgia Senate contest between Sen. Jon Ossoff and Rep. Mike Collins. The team has stated its intention to pursue significant news scoops while maintaining its focus on the personal lives and entertainment value of federal legislators. No specific expiration date for the bureau's operations was reported.