Kelly O'Donnell

Kelly O'Donnell (born May 17, 1965) is an American journalist. She is the chief justice and national affairs correspondent for NBC News covering the Justice Department. She appears on NBC Nightly News, Today, Meet The Press, and NBC News Now.

Background In 1987, O'Donnell graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree, focusing on a combined course of study in journalism and public policy. She had served as news anchor and substitute host on the Weekend Today program and the weekend edition of Nightly News. She has contributed reports to the primetime news magazine Dateline NBC.

O'Donnell has covered the Bush administration, Congress, and several presidential campaigns.

In 2016, O'Donnell was the first to report live on television that Hillary Clinton had called Donald Trump over the phone to concede the presidential election.

During the Iraq war, O'Donnell was embedded with the 3rd Infantry Division, stationed in Baghdad and Qatar. In addition, O'Donnell has reported on a wide variety of events, including the Oklahoma City bombing (1995), the O. J. Simpson trial (1995), the September 11 attacks (2001), and the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster (2003). O'Donnell reported on the travels and death of Pope John Paul II. She has also covered both the summer and winter Olympic games. and the Ohio Radio/Television Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2017, O'Donnell was awarded the Northwestern Alumni Medal—the highest honor given by the Northwestern Alumni Association.

She has received many honors, including Emmy awards, a National Headliner award, a New Hampshire Primary Award for Political Reporting, and Los Angeles Press Club awards.

Personal life Kelly grew up in Euclid, Ohio. She graduated Villa Angela Academy (now Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School), a Catholic school in Cleveland.

O'Donnell's grandparents on both sides came from Ireland and she maintains Irish citizenship. She is married to J. David Ake.