Conservative activist James O’Keefe set out to expose alleged vulnerabilities in Minnesota’s election system. He now faces criminal charges related to this undercover operation.
O’Keefe, formerly of Project Veritas and current CEO of O’Keefe Media Group, and conservative influencer Cameron Higby were charged Wednesday with illegal voting and identity theft after allegedly impersonating registered voters at Minneapolis polling places during the Aug. 11 state primary.
According to Hennepin County prosecutors, the men wore disguises, used fake accents and provided poll workers with the names of registered voters without their knowledge or permission. They filmed the meetings and later released videos purporting to expose weaknesses in Minnesota’s voter registration procedures.
The operation targeted the state’s attestation system, which allows registered voters to verify the residency of people wishing to register on Election Day. The process requires affidavits and identifying information from potential voters.
Neither O’Keefe nor Higby voted or signed the required oath of guarantor. Prosecutors say misrepresenting their identities early in the voting process was itself illegal.
O’Keefe defended the operation as investigative journalism, calling the accusation an attack on First Amendment rights. Higby also denied breaking the law, saying the two men intended to expose election vulnerabilities.
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The accusations are the latest controversy surrounding O’Keefe’s undercover tactics. In 2017, Washington Post reporters caught him selling them a false story. In 2009, he collaborated on hidden camera investigations targeting Planned Parenthood and gained national attention for videos involving the community organization ACORN. He later settled a lawsuit filed by a former ACORN employee for $100,000 without admitting wrongdoing.
But Minnesota officials say the latest operation demonstrated something different than what O’Keefe wanted.
Election workers noticed suspicious behavior and reported it, leading to an investigation. Hennepin County Prosecutor Mary Moriarty said the state’s system for identifying and responding to potential misconduct is working as designed. That appeals process itself accounted for less than 0.6% of the votes cast in Minnesota’s 2024 general election, according to state election officials.
O’Keefe and Higby are due in court on November 16. Neither was found guilty.
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