Project Veritas
![]() | |
Formation | June 2010[1] |
---|---|
Founder | James O'Keefe |
Type | NGO |
Legal status | |
Location |
|
Methods | |
Funding | Donors Trust |
Website | www |
This article is part of a series on |
Conservatism in the United States |
---|
![]() |
Project Veritas is an American far-right[14] activist[15] group founded by James O'Keefe in 2010.[19] The group produces deceptively edited videos[13] of its undercover operations,[5] which use secret recordings[5] in an effort to discredit mainstream media organizations and progressive groups.[20][21] Project Veritas also uses entrapment[12] to generate bad publicity for its targets,[2] and has propagated disinformation[23] and conspiracy theories[31] in its videos and operations.
Project Veritas's targets include Planned Parenthood, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), NPR, CNN, and The Washington Post. In 2009, Project Veritas associates published misleading[2] videos that depicted ACORN employees providing advice on concealing illegal activity, causing ACORN to shut down after losing funding;[3] the Attorney General of California cleared ACORN of wrongdoing in 2010,[2] and the associates paid a total of $150,000 in settlements to an ACORN employee who sued for defamation.[2] NPR CEO Vivian Schiller resigned in 2013 after Project Veritas released a deceptively[2][3] edited video portraying another NPR executive making controversial comments about the Tea Party movement and NPR's federal funding.[32] Project Veritas unsuccessfully attempted to mislead The Washington Post into publishing false information about the Roy Moore sexual misconduct allegations in 2017;[33][20] the Post won a Pulitzer Prize after uncovering the operation.[7][34] In 2022, a jury awarded $120,000 against Project Veritas for fraudulent misrepresentation of the nonprofit Democracy Partners.[35]
As a non-governmental organization, Project Veritas is financed by conservative fund Donors Trust[2] (which provided over $6.6 million from 2011 to 2019)[20][36][37] and other supporters, including the Donald J. Trump Foundation.[38] In 2020, The New York Times published an exposé detailing Project Veritas's use of spies recruited by Erik Prince to infiltrate "Democratic congressional campaigns, labor organizations and other groups considered hostile to the Trump agenda". The Times piece notes O'Keefe's and Prince's close links to the Trump administration, and details contributions such as a $1 million transfer of funds from an undisclosed source to support their work. The findings were based in part on discovery documents in a case brought by the American Federation of Teachers, Michigan, which had been infiltrated by Project Veritas.[39]
The organization's board fired O'Keefe in February 2023 for what it said was financial malfeasance with donor money.[40] In September 2023, Project Veritas suspended all operations after laying off most of its employees.[41] In December of the same year, Hannah Giles, who succeeded O'Keefe as CEO of the organization, resigned.
History
![O'Keefe speaking into a microphone and gesturing with his right hand](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/James_O%27Keefe_by_Gage_Skidmore_2.jpg/220px-James_O%27Keefe_by_Gage_Skidmore_2.jpg)
Project Veritas was founded in June 2010 by James O'Keefe,[1][42] who served as chairman until he separated from the organization in February 2023 amid controversy over his handling of finances and his management style.[40][43]
During the 2016 United States presidential election, the organization falsely claimed to have shown that Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign accepted illegal donations from foreign sources.[44] Two Project Veritas members were sued for defamation by an employee of Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) who was wrongfully depicted as a "willing participant in an underage sex-trafficking scheme". The suit resulted in two settlements: O'Keefe issued a statement of regret and paid the ACORN employee $100,000 in 2013; the other Project Veritas member paid the employee an additional $50,000 in 2012.[50]
In 2017, Project Veritas was caught in a failed attempt to trick The Washington Post into posting a fabricated story about the sexual misconduct allegations against Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore.[16][17][51][52] Rather than uncritically publish a story that accused Moore of impregnating a teenager, the Post critically examined the story, checked the source, assessed her credibility, and found that her claims had no merit, and that instead Project Veritas was trying to dupe The Washington Post.[33]
O'Keefe has been barred from fundraising for Project Veritas in Florida, Maine, Mississippi, Utah, and Wisconsin, partly because of his federal criminal record for entering a federal building under fraudulent pretenses and partly because Project Veritas has repeatedly failed to properly disclose his criminal convictions in applications for nonprofit status. Similar disclosure issues for the group's registration also exist in New Mexico, New York, and North Carolina.[53][54][55]
On February 11, 2021, Project Veritas's Twitter account was "permanently suspended for repeated violations of Twitter's private information policy." At the same time, O'Keefe's personal account was temporarily locked for violating the policy pending the deletion of a tweet.[56][57] Twitter permanently suspended O'Keefe's personal account on April 15 for violating its policy on "platform manipulation and spam", which prohibits the use of fake accounts to "artificially amplify or disrupt conversations". O'Keefe denied that he used fake accounts on Twitter and said he intended to sue Twitter in response.[58][59] In November 2022, following the acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk, Project Veritas's account was restored along with a number of other high-profile far-right accounts.[60]
In September 2021, Project Veritas's headquarters in Marmaroneck, New York, was destroyed by Hurricane Ida.[61][62] Later that month, the organization announced that it had been scammed out of $165,000 in what appeared to be a business email compromise attack. Attackers monitoring O'Keefe's email communications with his attorneys succeeded in interjecting an email from a similar-looking account into a conversation about an invoice payment, and the organization transferred funds to an account operated by the scammers.[63]
O'Keefe was removed from his leadership position at Project Veritas on February 20, 2023, amid allegations of financial malfeasance and poor management of staff. The board charged that O'Keefe had used funds for a variety of personal expenses, including $14,000 for a charter flight related to fixing his boat and $150,000 for "black cars". The staff concerns were communicated to the board in a memo calling O'Keefe a "power-drunk tyrant".[40][43][64] According to an unreleased internal audit, O'Keefe also directed Project Veritas employees to book a $12,000 helicopter flight from New York to Southwest Harbor, spent $208,980 on black car travel and $2,500 on DJ equipment and was abusive towards Project Veritas employees. O'Keefe also allegedly spent donor money on a romantic relationship with Alexandra Rose, a California real estate agent and star of the Netflix reality series Selling the OC.[65]
Project Veritas subsequently sued O'Keefe and two others, alleging that they had created a competing organization, O'Keefe Media Group, while still employees, approaching PV's donors and using company funds for this purpose. O'Keefe was also alleged to have improperly spent company funds on himself.[66][67]
In 2023, after six employees sued Project Veritas for underpayment, it settled for $270,000.[68] At the same time, Project Veritas settled a former employee's sexual harassment suit alleging a "highly sexualized" workplace with "rampant" drug use.[68]
In September 2023, Project Veritas suspended all operations after laying off most of its employees.[41]
Hannah Giles, who had been appointed CEO replacing O'Keefe in June 2023, resigned in December that same year. Upon resigning, she wrote, "I stepped into an unsalvageable mess — one wrought with strong evidence of past illegality and past financial improprieties." She added, "Once such evidence was discovered, I brought the information to the appropriate law enforcement agencies."[69]
Methods
Project Veritas uses deceptive techniques, including recording people without their knowledge and misrepresenting their employees' identities and purposes. It hires former U.S. and British military and intelligence agents to train its employees, who are often called "agents" or "operatives" in internal documents. Internal memos show that Project Veritas clears these activities with its legal team to stay within the boundaries of the law, which The New York Times says is a sign of its interest in "using tactics that test the boundaries of legality and are outside of mainstream reporting techniques".[70][1] Rolling Stone called Project Veritas's reporting practices "dubious", with their reporters actively manipulating their targets.[71]
Notable video recordings
Project Veritas was founded in June 2010,[1] but O'Keefe produced two major deceptive videos before founding it:
Planned Parenthood recordings (2008)
In 2006, O'Keefe met Lila Rose, the founder of an anti-abortion group on the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus.[72] They secretly recorded encounters in Planned Parenthood clinics in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, in which Rose posed as a 15-year-old girl impregnated by a 23-year-old man. Rose and O'Keefe made two videos incorporating heavily edited[38] versions of the recordings and released them on YouTube.[73] The video omitted the parts of the conversation in which a Planned Parenthood employee asked Rose to consult her mother about the pregnancy and another employee told her, "We have to follow the laws." Rose took down the videos after Planned Parenthood sent her a cease and desist letter in May 2007 asserting that the videos violated California's voice recording laws, which require consent from all recorded parties.[74][75]
ACORN videos (2009)
The organization produced deceptively edited videos targeting the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), a 40-year-old advocacy organization for low- and moderate-income people.[76][77][78]
In September 2009, O'Keefe and his associate Hannah Giles published edited hidden-camera recordings in which Giles posed as a prostitute and O'Keefe as her boyfriend, a law student, in an attempt to elicit damaging responses from ACORN employees.[79] ACORN mostly registered people from Latino and African American communities.[80]
The videos were recorded during the summer of 2009[81] and appeared to show low-level ACORN employees in six cities advising Giles and O'Keefe on how to avoid detection by authorities of tax evasion, human smuggling and child prostitution.[82] He framed the undercover recordings with a preface of him dressed in a "pimp" outfit, which he also wore in TV media interviews. This gave viewers, including the media, the impression that he had dressed that way when speaking to ACORN workers, but he actually entered the ACORN offices in conservative street clothes (the sleeve of his dress shirt is visible on camera).[83] Furthermore, the ACORN employees involved reported his activities to the San Diego Police Department after he left.[2]: 9 O'Keefe selectively edited and manipulated his recordings of ACORN employees[84][85] and distorted the chronologies.[86] Several journalists and media outlets expressed regret for failing to properly scrutinize and vet his work.[citation needed]
Reception and lawsuit
After the videos were released, Congress voted to freeze federal funding to ACORN.[87] The Census Bureau and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) terminated their contract relationships with ACORN.[88] By December 2009, an external investigation of ACORN was published that cleared it of any illegality, while commenting that its poor management practices contributed to unprofessional actions by some low-level employees.[89][90][91][92] In March 2010, ACORN announced it would dissolve due to loss of funding from government and especially private sources.[93] On March 1, 2010, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes found that there was no criminal wrongdoing by the ACORN staff in New York.[94]
The California Attorney General's Office granted O'Keefe and Giles limited immunity from prosecution in exchange for providing the full, unedited videotapes related to ACORN offices in California.[79] On the basis of the edited video that O'Keefe released, ACORN employee Juan Carlos Vera appeared to be a willing participant in O'Keefe's plan to illegally smuggle young women into the U.S., but authorities confirmed that Vera immediately contacted them about O'Keefe and that he had also encouraged O'Keefe to share as much information as possible about his scheme and gather further evidence of O'Keefe's purported illegal activities, which could be used by prosecutors to bring charges against O'Keefe for attempted human trafficking. Due to O'Keefe's release of the dubiously edited video, intentionally designed to "prove" that ACORN employees were ready and willing to engage in illicit activities, Vera lost his job and was falsely portrayed as engaged in human trafficking.[47]
O'Keefe moved for summary judgment in his favor, arguing that the plaintiff had no reasonable expectation that the conversation would be private. In August 2012, the federal judge hearing the case denied O'Keefe's motion. The judge ruled that O'Keefe had "misled plaintiff to believe that the conversation would remain confidential by posing as a client seeking services from ACORN and asking whether their conversation was confidential."[95] On March 5, 2013, O'Keefe agreed to pay Vera $100,000 and acknowledged in the settlement that at the time he published his video he was unaware that Vera had notified the police about the incident. As part of the settlement, O'Keefe apologized for his actions, expressing regret for "any pain suffered by Mr. Vera or his family."[96][46][97] Giles paid Vera $50,000 in a separate 2012 settlement.[45]
On June 14, 2010, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published its report finding no evidence that ACORN or any of its related organizations had mishandled any of the $40 million in federal money they had received in recent years.[98][99]
New Jersey Teachers' Union video (2010)
Starting on October 25, 2010, O'Keefe posted a series of videos on the Internet titled Teachers Unions Gone Wild. At the time, the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) was in negotiations with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie over teacher pay benefits and tenure.[100] O'Keefe obtained a video from recordings made by "citizen journalists" he recruited to attend the NJEA's leadership conference. They secretly recorded meetings and conversations with teacher participants.[100] It featured teachers discussing the difficulty of firing a tenured teacher.
A second video featured a staged phone conversation by O'Keefe with Lawrence E. Everett, assistant superintendent of the Passaic, New Jersey city schools, in which Everett refused to commit to firing a teacher based on a parent's purported claim that the teacher had used the "n-word" with his child.[100][101] A third video (October 26, 2010) featured audio of a voice, identified as NJEA Associate Director Wayne Dibofsky, who alleged voter fraud during the 1997 Jersey City mayoral election.[100] The voice of Robert Byrne, Jersey City municipal clerk, was recorded on the same video; he noted that lawyers for both candidates monitored the election.[100]
Christie said at the time that nothing on the videos surprised him.[102] NJEA spokesman Steve Wollmer said the union and its attorneys were discussing their options for legal action, but none was ever taken. Wollmer called the videos "a calculated attack on this organization and its members" and called O'Keefe "flat-out sleazy".[102]
Medicaid videos (2011)
In the summer of 2011, O'Keefe released videos in which an actor working for Project Veritas attempted to apply for benefits while hinting that he was a drug smuggler; the actor failed to obtain benefits.[103] In Maine, Governor Paul LePage concluded upon further examination of the videos that there was no fraud or intent to commit fraud.[103][104][105]
The videos received less media attention than earlier O'Keefe efforts. Generally, the state officials and representatives acknowledged potential problems but also took a measured tone in response, to allow time to fully investigate and evaluate the incidents. After viewing the video, LePage thanked the person who took the video and noted: "The video in its entirety does not show a person willfully helping someone defraud the welfare system. It does show a need for further job knowledge and continuous and improved staff training." He also said that "we would be six months further along in fixing the problem" if he had received the video when it was filmed. LePage directed his agency director to work on correcting the problem.[105]
Ben Johnson of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services noted that benefits were never granted in the case, and that the made-up story would have been caught if the application process had proceeded. He said his office would use the video to strengthen staff training. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine called the Ohio video "outrageous" and intended to instruct his state's Medicaid fraud unit to look into the incident.[106] The director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Michael Colbert, notified county leaders of a mandatory retraining "to ensure they can identify people trying to defraud the government".[107] A spokesman for Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell said he had asked state police to review the video and take appropriate action.[108][109]
In Charleston, South Carolina, the director of that state's Department of Health and Human Services, Anthony Kreck, said the video filmed in his state "raises concerns about how well trained and supported our staff are to handle outrageous situations". He also expressed concern for the safety of the state employee with the figure ["Sean Murphy"] in the video "who could be interpreted as intimidating" and questioned why security wasn't called.[109]
NPR video (2011)
On March 8, 2011, shortly before Congress was to vote on funding for National Public Radio (NPR), O'Keefe released a heavily edited video of a discussion with Ronald Schiller, NPR's senior vice president for fundraising, and associate Betsy Liley. The content was secretly recorded by O'Keefe's partners, Simon Templar (a pseudonym)[110] and Shaughn Adeleye, who pretended to be Muslims named Ibrahim Kasaam and Amir Malik.[111][112][32]
In the video, the NPR executives were shown meeting with Kasaam and Malik, who styled themselves as representatives of a self-described Muslim charity called the "Muslim Education Action Center" that wished to donate money to NPR. NPR responded that Schiller's remarks were presented out of sequence and that he said that he would speak personally, and not for NPR. Schiller said some highly placed Republicans believed the Republican Party had been hijacked by a radical group (the Tea Party) that they characterized as "Islamophobic" and "seriously racist, racist people", and while Schiller did not disagree, according to NPR, O'Keefe's editing made it appear those were Schiller's opinions. Schiller then says that unlike establishment Republicans, the growing Tea Party movement in the party "is fanatically involved in people's personal lives and very fundamental Christian—I wouldn't even call it Christian. It's this weird evangelical kind of move [sic]."[113][114]
Later in the edited video, Schiller seems to say he believes NPR "would be better off in the long run without federal funding", explaining that removal of federal funding would give NPR more independence and remove the widely held misconception that it is significantly funded by the public. But on the raw tape, Schiller also said that withdrawing federal funding would cause local stations to go under and that NPR is doing "everything we can" to keep it.[115]
In a statement released before analysis of the longer raw video, NPR said, "The fraudulent organization represented in this video repeatedly pressed us to accept a $5 million check, with no strings attached, which we repeatedly refused to accept. We are appalled by the comments made by Ron Schiller in the video, which are contrary to what NPR stands for."[116]
Journalists Ben Smith, James Poniewozik, and Dave Weigel have expressed regret for giving O'Keefe's NPR videos wider circulation without scrutinizing them further.[84]
Reception
Comparison of the raw video with the released one revealed editing characterized as "selective" and "deceptive" by Michael Gerson, opinion writer in The Washington Post, who wrote, "O'Keefe did not merely leave a false impression; he manufactured an elaborate, alluring lie."[117] Time magazine wrote that the video "transposed remarks from a different part of the meeting", was "manipulative" and "a partisan hit-job".[32]
The raw video shows Schiller told the two men "that donors cannot expect to influence news coverage". On the longer tape, he says, "There is such a big firewall between funding and reporting: Reporters will not be swayed in any way, shape or form."[84] The broadcast journalist Al Tompkins, who now teaches at the Poynter Institute, noted that Ron Schiller was a fundraiser, not an official affecting the newsroom. He commented on the raw tape: "The message that he said most often—I counted six times: He told these two people that he had never met before that you cannot buy coverage", Tompkins said. "He says it over and over and over again.[84]
On March 17, Martha T. Moore of USA Today reported: "According to The Blaze analysis, Ron Schiller's most inflammatory remarks, that Tea Party members are 'seriously racist', were made as he was recounting the views of Republicans he has spoken with—although he does not appear to disagree. It also shows Schiller appearing to laugh about the potential spread of Islamic sharia law, when the longer version shows he laughed in reaction to something completely different."[115]
Two days later, O'Keefe released a video in which Betsy Liley, senior director of institutional giving at NPR, appeared to have checked with senior management and said MEAC was cleared to make donations anonymously and NPR could help shield donations from government audits, but added that, in order to proceed, additional background information would be required, including an IRS Form 990.[118] Liley advised the caller that NPR executives would investigate them before accepting any large donation, examining tax records and checking out other organizations that have received donations from them.[118] Liley raises the possibility of NPR's turning down substantial gifts and stresses the "firewall" between the revenue-generating part of NPR and its news operation.[118] NPR put Liley on administrative leave. In emails released following the publication of the Liley video, NPR confirmed that the official had consulted appropriately with top management and notified the purported donors of problems with their desired method of donation.[119]
The video, which was released directly before a congressional vote on funding, caused immediate reaction from NPR critics in Congress. Schiller, who had already submitted his resignation in January so that he could join the Aspen Institute, moved up his resignation after the video release when NPR put him on administrative leave. NPR CEO Vivian Schiller (no relation to Ronald Schiller), who had not been implicated in the Project Veritas video, quickly resigned.[120][121][122][123][124][125] Vivian Schiller's resignation, mutually decided with the NPR board, was in part an attempt to show Congressional funders that NPR could hold itself accountable.[126]
New Hampshire primary video (2012)
In January 2012, O'Keefe released a video of associates obtaining a number of ballots for the New Hampshire primary by using the names of recently deceased voters. He said the video showed that "the integrity of the elections process is severely comprised [sic]."[127] His team culled names from published obituaries, which were checked against public voter roll information. O'Keefe said his team broke no laws, as they did not pretend to be the deceased persons when they asked for the ballots and did not cast votes after receiving ballots. One of his associates' attempts was caught by a voting supervisor at the polling station who recognized that the name he gave was of a deceased person; the associate in question left before police arrived.[128]
Reception
Sarah Parnass of ABC News reported that the video "either exposes why voting laws are too lax or comes close to itself being voter fraud (or both)".[127] One media account called it a stunt.[129] New Hampshire Governor John Lynch said, "I think it is outrageous that we have out-of-staters coming into New Hampshire, coming into our polling places and misrepresenting themselves to the election officials, and I hope that they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, if in fact they're found guilty of some criminal act."[130] The New Hampshire Attorney General and the US Attorney's Office announced investigations into the video.[130]
New Hampshire Associate Attorney General Richard Head said he would investigate possible weaknesses in the voting system,[131] but noted the state did not have a history of known fraud related to people seeking ballots in the names of dead people.[127] Head announced he would investigate the possibility that the filmmakers committed crimes while producing the videos.[127]
Hamline University law professor David Schultz said, "If they [O'Keefe's group] were intentionally going in and trying to fraudulently obtain a ballot, they violated the law", referring to Title 42, which prohibits procuring ballots fraudulently.[129] The New Hampshire Attorney General's office dropped its investigation of O'Keefe for voter fraud in 2013.[132]
Patrick Moran (2012)
On October 24, 2012, a video was released showing Patrick Moran, son of then-U.S. Representative Jim Moran, and a field director with his father's campaign, discussing a plan to cast fraudulent ballots, which was proposed to him by someone who posed as a fervent supporter of the campaign.[133] The person he was speaking with was a conservative activist with Project Veritas, and was secretly recording the conversation.[134] Patrick Moran resigned from the campaign, saying he did not want to be a distraction during the election, adding:
[A]t no point have I, or will I ever endorse any sort of illegal or unethical behavior. At no point did I take this person seriously. He struck me as being unstable and joking, and for only that reason did I humor him. In hindsight, I should have immediately walked away, making it clear that there is no place in the electoral process for even the suggestion of illegal behavior, joking or not.[134]
The Arlington County Police Department was made aware of the video and opened a criminal investigation into "every component" of the matter.[135]
On January 31, 2013, Arlington County announced that the investigation by its police department in collaboration with the Offices of the Virginia Attorney General and the Arlington County Commonwealth's Attorney had concluded and that no charges would be brought. The County stated: "Patrick Moran and the Jim Moran for Congress campaign provided full cooperation throughout the investigation. Despite repeated attempts to involve the party responsible for producing the video, they failed to provide any assistance."[136]
Battleground Texas (2014)
In 2014, Project Veritas released a video purporting to show illegalities in voter registration activities conducted by Battleground Texas.[137] A complaint against Battleground Texas was filed with the Secretary of State office, where the case was ultimately referred to two special prosecutors. The special prosecutors' report concluded there was "no applicable criminal offense for the alleged act and insufficient evidence to suggest potential offenses". The report also described the video as "little more than a canard and political disinformation". The case was dismissed.[138][139]
Documentary filmmaker Josh Fox (2014)
In 2014, at the Cannes Film Festival, Project Veritas released a deceptive video purporting to show that Josh Fox and other environmentalist documentary filmmakers could be influenced by foreign money. Fox is known for Gasland, a film that exposed problems with the use of fracking for U.S. gas and oil production. Pretending to represent Middle Eastern petroleum interests, Project Veritas operatives promised anonymous funding if Fox produced a documentary to their liking. Their professed interest was that opposing fracking would preserve U.S. reliance on Middle Eastern oil. Fox released his own recording of the phone call, which showed the Project Veritas video was a misrepresentation. Fox had repeatedly told the fake investors that he was not interested.[140][141][142]
Americans United for Change videos (2016)
On October 18, 2016, O'Keefe released a series of videos on Project Veritas's YouTube channel titled "Rigging the Election" apparently showing former national field director Scott Foval of Americans United for Change saying they should ensure they had people at the front of the rope lines at rallies in order to ask questions, a common practice known as "bird dogging".[143][144] The videos' accuracy was questioned for possibly omitting context, and the unedited raw footage has not been made available.[145][146][147][148] The GOP-appointed Attorney General of Wisconsin, Brad Schimel, investigated the claims made in the video twice, both times finding no evidence that Foval broke any voting laws.[149]
DNC Chair Donna Brazile said, "We do not believe, or have any evidence to suggest, that the activities articulated in the video actually occurred."[150][151] Americans United for Change fired Foval after the first video was released.[152] Foval later said he had been set up.[145][146][147] Robert Creamer, a DNC consultant and husband of U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky, said, "We regret the unprofessional and careless hypothetical conversations that were captured on hidden cameras of a regional contractor for our firm, and he is no longer working with us. While none of the schemes described in the conversations ever took place, these conversations do not at all reflect the values of Democracy Partners."[152] Shortly afterward, Creamer, who was also featured in the video, said he would end his consulting arrangement with the DNC to avoid becoming a distraction.[146]
After his videos were published, O'Keefe filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and the DNC, alleging "a criminal conspiracy" involving the campaign, the DNC and three left-leaning super PACs.[153] On June 1, 2017, Creamer's firm, Democracy Partners, filed a $1 million lawsuit against Project Veritas, claiming it had lied to gain access to the firm and violated anti-wiretapping laws.[154] In September 2022, a jury found that Project Veritas had violated wiretapping laws and misrepresented itself to Democracy Partners, which the jury awarded $120,000. Project Veritas said it would appeal the decision.[155][35]
In response to a third video, in which O'Keefe said that Clinton was behind an illegal public relations gimmick to punish Trump for not releasing his tax returns, the Clinton campaign denied any wrongdoing. Independent campaign finance experts said the video did not support O'Keefe's claims. Clinton said she was aware of the activists dressed as Donald Duck, who were following Trump while asking about his tax returns, and said she was amused.[156]
On October 26, 2016, O'Keefe posted a fourth video on his Project Veritas Action YouTube channel. The video alleged that liberal groups supporting Hillary were illegally taking foreign money. The targeted group, Americans United for Change foundation, is a 501(c)4 organization and is allowed to accept foreign contributions, but it returned the money shortly after the video was released. The group's chief said, "We returned the money because the last thing we want to be associated with is a character like O'Keefe who has been convicted and successfully sued for his illegal tactics and fraudulent activities."[157]
On January 9, 2017, Project Veritas operative Allison Maass was filmed attempting to bribe members of Americans Take Action into inciting a riot at Trump's inauguration.[158][159] On January 16, 2017, Project Veritas uploaded a video showing DC Antifascist Coalition members of Disrupt J20 plotting to use "stink bombs" at the DeploraBall. After the video's release, Disrupt J20 denied that, saying that the members deliberately gave false information to Veritas.[160] The video led to the arrest of one man allegedly involved in the plan,[161] as well as two associates. All three pleaded guilty.[162]
New York City elections official video (2016)
In October 2016, Project Veritas released a video taken at a United Federation of Teachers holiday party on December 16, 2015. It was secretly recorded by a Project Veritas associate posing as a political consultant. In the video, the Democratic representative from Manhattan on the New York City Board of Elections, Commissioner Alan Schulkin, agreed with several of the Veritas operatives' statements criticizing Mayor Bill de Blasio's municipal ID program.[163] Schulkin said, "The law says you can't ask for anything. Which they really should be able to do. I believe they should be able to do it. They should ask for your ID. I think there is a lot of voter fraud"; "People don't realize—certain neighborhoods in particular, they bus people around to vote"; and "They put them in a bus and go poll site to poll site."[164][163]
Shortly after the video's release, de Blasio called Schulkin's behavior "entirely inappropriate" and said that Schulkin should resign.[165] In a follow-up interview with the New York Post, Schulkin said, "I should have said 'potential fraud' instead of 'fraud'". Of the Project Veritas operative who secretly recorded him, Schulkin said, "She was like a nuisance. I was just trying to placate her", noting that in his haste to get away from her, he "was agreeing with her when I shouldn't have been."[163][166] Schulkin was not reappointed after his term expired on December 31, 2016.[167]
CNN undercover videos (2017)
On June 26, 2017, O'Keefe released a hidden-camera video on Project Veritas's YouTube channel that showed John Bonifield, a producer of health and medical stories for CNN, saying that CNN's coverage of the Russian investigation was for "ratings" and that the coverage was "mostly bullshit".[168] Bonifield had no involvement in CNN's political reporting; the video falsely implied that Bonifeld held a senior decision-making role at CNN.[168] When asked who Bonifield was speaking to or the video's source, Project Veritas declined to comment.[168] According to a CNN investigation, Veritas's operative gained access to Bonifield by falsely presenting themself as seeking a mentor for a career in journalism.[168] In a statement, CNN said: "CNN stands by our medical producer John Bonifield. Diversity of personal opinion is what makes CNN strong, we welcome it and embrace it."[169][170] During a White House press briefing, deputy White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders encouraged people to watch the video "whether it's accurate or not".[170]
On June 28, 2017, O'Keefe released the second part of the series of undercover videos, by then dubbed "American Pravda". In the video, CNN anchor Van Jones said, "The Russia thing is just a big nothingburger."[171] When asked about the video in an email, CNN responded, "lol".[172] The same day, the videos were posted on Donald Trump's Instagram account.[173] Jones said that O'Keefe had deceptively edited the video to take his remarks out of context and was attempting to "pull off a hoax", adding that he believed that there probably was collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.[171]
On June 30, 2017, O'Keefe released the third part of the undercover videos. Part 3 of the series showed CNN associate producer Jimmy Carr saying that Trump is "fucking crazy" and that "on the inside, we all recognize he is a clown, that he is hilariously unqualified for this, he's really bad at this, and that he does not have America's best interests". Carr also said: "This is a man who's not actually a Republican; he just adopted that because that was the party he thought he could win in. He doesn't believe anything that these people believe."[174] He also called American voters "stupid as shit"[174] and called Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway an "awful woman" who "looks like she got hit with a shovel".[174] In a fourth video Project Veritas published on July 5, Carr criticized CNN co-anchor Chris Cuomo.[175]
New Jersey Education Association videos (2018)
On May 2, 2018, Project Veritas posted on YouTube two videos in which a Project Veritas employee, posing as the sister of a non-existent teacher, falsely stated that their fictional brother had pushed a student and expressed concern for their future; the union administrators they were speaking to reassured them.[176][177] In the second video, the administrator referenced a teacher who had been accused of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact with a 16-year-old student, stating that they had successfully defended them; in reality, the teacher had pled guilty.[178] The union attempted to force the administrator in question to resign, but an arbitrator blocked this decision, ruling it "too harsh a penalty" for their statements.[178]
Internal Google documents (2019)
In 2019, a former software engineer, Zachary Vorhies, released internal Google documents to Project Veritas regarding the 2016 presidential election.[179] CNBC reviewed the documents and reported that "the documents do not appear to contain any outright allegation of vote manipulation or attempts to bias the election." Google declined to comment on the material.[179]
CNBC reported that among other things, the documents appeared to include lists related to how Google determines whether news sources are credible or whether they contain hate speech, which Project Veritas purported to indicate bias in search rankings.[179] In response to a tweet by Donald Trump, in which he claimed, without evidence, that Google manipulated 2.6 million votes favoring Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, a Google spokesperson reiterated a previous statement that Google has "never re-ranked or altered search results to manipulate political sentiment."[179]
ABC not broadcasting Jeffrey Epstein accuser (2019)
In 2019, Project Veritas accused ABC News of suppressing a 2015 interview with a key accuser of the alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Project Veritas obtained a recording of ABC news anchor Amy Robach in an unguarded moment lamenting that her interview had never been broadcast. Robach and an ABC official say the story lacked sufficient corroboration at that time.[180]
Minnesota videos (2020)
In September 2020, Project Veritas and O'Keefe had repeatedly promoted the release of material supposedly showing evidence of voter fraud, with September 28 being the promoted release date. On September 27, Mike Lindell, honorary chairman of President Trump's re-election campaign in Minnesota, abruptly announced that the release date was changed to that very day, within hours of The New York Times publishing information on its investigation of the tax returns of Donald Trump. Researchers at Stanford University and the University of Washington concluded that the change in timing was likely connected to the Times story.[181]
O'Keefe began releasing the material on Twitter on September 27, in video form. Within seven minutes, Donald Trump Jr., the son of the president, separately uploaded the video to Twitter, instead of re-sharing the video from O'Keefe's account. Two minutes later, an account for Trump's re-election campaign re-shared the video, while Trump himself soon began responding. Additionally, Trump Jr. uploaded the video to Facebook earlier than O'Keefe. These events present "questions of coordination" on whether the Trump campaign "had access to the video before the general public", stated the researchers from the two universities.[181] In addition, several well-known right-wing Twitter accounts both promoted the release of the material, and immediately shared the Twitter video upon release, leading to researchers concluding that this was "a great example of what a coordinated disinformation campaign looks like".[181]
Project Veritas alleged that the material they released showed that Minnesota's Representative Ilhan Omar was connected to a cash-for-ballot harvesting scheme. Fact-checking website Snopes wrote that the videos "lack evidence to support this accusation", and that they included "clips of conversations that raise questions about the original context and intent of the words spoken."[182] Snopes requested that Project Veritas release its raw, unedited footage, but Project Veritas refused. Snopes also could not verify the accuracy of the Somali to English translations done by Project Veritas.[182] USA Today offered a similar assessment in their fact-check, stating that the Project Veritas material provides "no actual proof of fraud or any relationship between individuals in the video and Omar or her campaign".[183] The New York Times wrote that the Project Veritas used only unidentified sources, and provided "no verifiable evidence that Representative Ilhan Omar's campaign had collected ballots illegally", writing that the story "was probably part of a coordinated disinformation effort".[181]
The main material featured by Project Veritas were two videos uploaded to YouTube. The videos feature only one person who was both identified and interviewed on-camera: Omar Jamal. He describes himself as "part of the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office". The Office stated that Omar Jamal was part of the community support group, instead of being involved in policing activities. Omar Jamal was not speaking on behalf of the Office when he alleged voter fraud, stated the Office. Omar Jamal also mentions his leadership of the Somali Watchdog Group. Its website was created in August 2020, which mentions no other members of the organization other than Omar Jamal.[182] The Daily Dot describes Omar Jamal as "uncredentialed" and "questionable", noting that he claimed to have studied at Tufts University Graduate School of International Affairs, but the school denied it. The Daily Dot also states that Omar Jamal is not the United Nations Permanent Representative to the Federal Republic of Somalia, as he has claimed.[184] Shortly after the release of the videos, Jamal started soliciting for public donations on GoFundMe, asking for a total of $500,000 for legal defense funds and for "financial stability".[185]
Project Veritas named the first YouTube video: Ilhan Omar connected Ballot Harvester in cash-for-ballots scheme: 'Car is full' of absentee ballots. This video featured Snapchat clips of Liban Osman, a man from Minneapolis. Liban Osman never mentions Ilhan Omar, but does refer to his brother, Jamal Osman, a Minneapolis City Councilman. In different Snapchat clips, Mohamed separately makes reference to the topics of money and ballots, although he never says he received money to collect ballots. Ballot harvesting is legal in Minnesota, and there was no limit on collecting absentee ballots in Minnesota from late July 2020 to early September 2020.[182][186] FOX 9 received the full Snapchat clips from Liban Osman, who alleged that Project Veritas had edited and combined the videos to take them out of context. FOX 9 described the full clips as showing that Liban Osman was working for his brother, not Ilhan Omar. The full Snapchat clips also showed that when Liban Osman discussed money in politics, he was referring to his brother's competitors in Minneapolis' Ward 6 election, many of whom had little-funded campaigns.[186] Liban Osman told FOX 9 that he rejected a $10,000 bribe by Omar Jamal to say that Liban Osman was offering to pay people to vote for Ilhan Omar.[186]
The second YouTube video uploaded on this topic by Project Veritas was entitled Omar Connected Harvester SEEN Exchanging $200 for General Election Ballot. 'We don't care illegal.' However, Snopes states that it is "unclear what's going on. All one sees in the video is two unidentified men speaking Somali in an outdoor setting, discussing filling out a voter registration form. At one point, money allegedly changes hands."[182] FOX 9 heard from two sources that the two men in the above incident are Omar Jamal and a relative of his, and that what Omar Jamal was doing was passing his relative $200 to transfer to the family of another relative, who was sick in Somalia.[186]
As a result of the videos, the Minneapolis Police is "looking into the validity" of the allegations.[182] Sahan Journal reported that Omar Jamal had later given an interview where he stated that he had not met any person who was paid to vote, which would contradict what he told Project Veritas.[183]
Pennsylvania postal worker video (2020)
Project Veritas released a video where a Pennsylvania postal worker in Erie claimed, without evidence, that on November 5, the Erie postmaster told a postal supervisor "that they messed up yesterday", because "they had postmarked one of the ballots the fourth instead of the third, because they were supposed to put them for the third".[187][188]
On November 10, officials of the Postal Service Office of Inspector General told members of Congress that the postal worker had recanted the claims to investigators.[189] Shortly afterwards, multiple news reports reported that the postal worker, Richard Hopkins, told investigators from the U.S. Postal Service's Office of Inspector General that his allegations were not true and had signed an affidavit recanting his claims.[188][190][191] Hopkins initially denied that he had recanted his allegations; however, he had no comment when the final Postmaster's General report and audio recordings from his interview confirmed that he had done so.[188][192][189]
Also on November 11, Project Veritas released a two-hour audio recording purportedly of the conversation between Hopkins and the investigators. The Washington Post described it as "not clear" if Project Veritas had edited the audio recording before release. In the recording, Hopkins is heard saying that Project Veritas wrote his affidavit for him. Additionally, Hopkins recounted that when he was interacting with Project Veritas, he was in "so much shock [he] wasn't paying that much attention to what they were telling me". Hopkins says in the audio that he heard parts of a conversation, with the specific phrases he heard being "ballots on the 4th", "all for the 3rd", and "one postmarked on the 4th". Hopkins acknowledged in the audio that he had not heard the word "backdate".[193]
The Postal Service inspector general investigated and released a report in March 2021 confirming that Hopkins had recanted the account and finding no evidence to support his original claim.[189] Project Veritas continued to promote the postal worker's claims of fraud after they had been discredited.[189]
The postmaster sued Project Veritas and O'Keefe for defamation in 2021. In February 2024, O'Keefe and Project Veritas settled the lawsuit, with O'Keefe admitting in a statement that he was "aware of no evidence or other allegation that election fraud occurred in the Erie Post Office during the 2020 Presidential Election."[194][195]
Texas campaign worker (2020)
On January 13, 2021, Raquel Rodriguez, a former campaign worker was arrested and charged with election tampering, after Project Veritas posted an edited video of the woman, in which she appears to be helping an elderly person fill out a mail-in ballot form and discussing assisting people at the polls.[196][197] Rodriguez stated that she is the niece of the woman she is seen on video with, and has moved to have charges dismissed on the grounds that it is not unlawful to help relatives vote.[198]
New Hampshire double-voter (2020)
Project Veritas released a hidden camera video alleging a voter in New Hampshire had voted twice (once under an assumed name) in 2016.[199] The person had been investigated by the New Hampshire State Police and referred to the state Attorney General in 2020, but the investigation languished unresolved until Project Veritas pursued the matter with the Attorney General's office. The man pled guilty to a felony of voting twice and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, which was suspended. He also pled guilty and was fined for a civil violation of applying for and receiving a ballot using a false name. The voter had been appointed an Inspector of Elections, someone who assists in the polling place during an election, although the appointment was rescinded following Project Veritas' reporting.[200][201][202]
PBS lawyer video (2021)
In January 2021, a lawyer for PBS resigned after Project Veritas released a video of him.[203] PBS issued a statement which said, "This employee no longer works for PBS. As a mid-level staff attorney, he did not speak on behalf of our organization, nor did he make any editorial decisions... There is no place for hateful rhetoric at PBS, and this individual’s views in no way reflect our values or opinions... We strongly condemn violence and will continue to do what we have done for 50 years - use our national platform and local presence to strengthen communities and bring people together."[204][205]
Pfizer video (2023)
In January 2023, Project Veritas released an undercover video of a man identified as a Pfizer executive named Jordon Trishton Walker, who was supposedly a "Director of Research and Development, Strategic Operations and mRNA Scientific Planning" at the company. Walker claimed that Pfizer was considering experiments that involved "mutating" the SARS-CoV-2 virus to prepare vaccines ahead of time in a manner similar to gain-of-function research.[206][207][208] Walker also claimed that what Pfizer was allegedly doing was similar to what allegedly happened at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in the lab leak theory of COVID-19's origin,[207][208] and appeared to reference debunked claims about the impact of the COVID-19 vaccine on female fertility, saying that he "hopes we don't find out that somehow this mRNA lingers in the body."[207]
Pfizer denied the allegations in the video, stating that it had not done any "gain of function or directed evolution research" during its development of its COVID-19 vaccine.[207][208] Multiple scientists told FactCheck.org that Walker appeared to be uninformed, and the experiments supposedly discussed at Pfizer made little sense for the company to conduct.[208] In another video released by Project Veritas on January 26, Walker admitted to not being a scientist by background, and said in a confrontation with the group, "I was trying to impress a date. By lying. Why are you doing this to someone who's just working at a company to literally help the public?"[208]
Footage from the Project Veritas undercover video was included in the 2023 anti-vaccine film Final Days.[209]
Notable incidents
Senator Mary Landrieu (2010)
O'Keefe and colleagues were arrested in the Hale Boggs Federal Complex in New Orleans in January 2010 and charged with entering federal property under false pretenses with the intent of committing a felony, at the office of United States Senator Mary Landrieu, a Democrat. His three fellow activists, who were dressed as telephone repairmen when apprehended, included Robert Flanagan, the son of William Flanagan, acting U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of Louisiana.[210][211] The four men were charged with malicious intent to damage the phone system.[212] O'Keefe stated that he had entered Landrieu's office to investigate complaints that she was ignoring phone calls from constituents during the debate over President Barack Obama's health care bill.[213]
The charges in the case were reduced from a felony to a single misdemeanor count of entering a federal building under false pretenses.[214][215] O'Keefe and the others pleaded guilty on May 26. O'Keefe was sentenced to three years' probation, 100 hours of community service and a $1,500 fine. The other three men received lesser sentences.[216]
In August 2013, O'Keefe revisited the incident by releasing a video entitled: "a confrontation with former U.S. Attorney Jim Letten on the campus of Tulane University". Letten is a former Republican U.S. Attorney who recused himself from the Landrieu incident because he knew the father of one of the men involved. The video shows Letten accusing O'Keefe of "terrorizing" Letten's wife at their home, of harassing him, and trespassing on the Tulane campus. He called O'Keefe a "coward" and a "spud", and referred to O'Keefe and his companions as "hobbits" and "scum".[217]
Abbie Boudreau (2010)
In August 2010, O'Keefe planned a staged encounter with the CNN correspondent Abbie Boudreau, who was doing a documentary on the young conservative movement. He set up an appointment at his office in Maryland to discuss a video shoot.[218] Izzy Santa, executive director of Project Veritas, approached Boudreau when she arrived at the site. Santa warned Boudreau that O'Keefe was planning to meet with her on board a nearby boat, where he would try to seduce Boudreau. This would be filmed on hidden cameras.[218][219] Boudreau did not board the boat and soon left the area.[218][219]
CNN later published a 13-page plan written by O'Keefe mentor Ben Wetmore. It listed props for the boat scheme, including pornography, sexual aids, condoms, a blindfold and "fuzzy" handcuffs.[218][219][220] When questioned by CNN, O'Keefe denied he was going to follow the Wetmore plan, as he found parts of it inappropriate.[219] Boudreau commented "that does not appear to be true, according to a series of emails we obtained from Izzy Santa, who says the e-mails reveal James' true intentions."[221]
Following the Boudreau incident, Project Veritas paid Izzy Santa a five-figure settlement after she threatened to sue, which included a nondisclosure agreement.[222]
Attempt to solicit Colorado voter fraud (2014)
In October 2014, O'Keefe and his two colleagues attempted to bait staffers for Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) and then-U.S. Senator Mark Udall (D-CO), as well as independent expenditure organizations, into approving voter fraud, according to several staffers who interacted with O'Keefe and his colleagues. Staffers began photographing O'Keefe's crew and advising them that what they were advocating was illegal; one nonprofit said they contacted police.[223]
The 2013 Colorado election modernization act had required that all registered voters receive mail-in ballots. PV released a video showing a few individuals appearing to be OK with illegal suggestions PV's people proffered, e.g. finding and voting discarded ballots. But no evidence of illegal activity was shown.[223][224][225]
Attempted sting of Open Society Foundations (2016)
On March 16, 2016, O'Keefe attempted to call Open Society Foundations under the assumed name of Victor Kesh, describing himself as attached to "a foundation" seeking to "get involved with you and aid what you do in fighting for European values". O'Keefe forgot to hang up after recording the voicemail, and several more minutes of audio were recorded, revealing that he was attached to Discover the Networks and planning a series of attempts to create embarrassing videos or other recordings of targeted groups.[226][227]
Failed attempt to sting The Washington Post (2017)
Beginning in July 2017, Project Veritas operative Jaime Phillips attempted to infiltrate The Washington Post and other media outlets by joining networking groups related to journalism and left-leaning politics. She and a male companion attended events related to the Post, and their conversations with journalists were sometimes covertly recorded.[228]
In November 2017, The Washington Post reported that several women accused Republican Alabama U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore of pursuing them while they were teenagers and he was in his 30s.[229] Later that same month, Jaime Phillips approached The Washington Post and falsely claimed that Moore had impregnated her as a teenager and that she had an abortion.[229][230] In conducting its usual fact-checking, the Post discovered multiple red flags in her story. They found a GoFundMe page in her name that said, "I've accepted a job to work in the conservative media movement to combat the lies and deceipt [sic] of the liberal MSM." After a Post reporter confronted her with the inconsistencies during a video-recorded interview, Phillips denied that she was working with an organization that targets journalists, and said that she no longer wanted to do the story.[229] She was seen outside Project Veritas' office in Mamaroneck, New York, with her car remaining at the office's parking lot for more than an hour.[229] O'Keefe declined to comment about the woman's apparent connection to Project Veritas.[229][230] Instead of running a story about Phillips' supposed pregnancy, the Post published an article about the attempted sting operation. The Post decided to disclose Phillips' original discussions made off the record, saying that Phillips' lies voided any agreement to keep those disclosures confidential.[229]
Hours after the Post published this story, O'Keefe released a video which he claimed exposed the newspaper's liberal bias.[231] The video includes undercover footage of conversations with two Post employees, national security reporter Dan Lamothe and product director Joey Marburger.[232] These employees explained to undercover Project Veritas operatives the difference between the news reporting of The Washington Post (which calls out the Trump administration's missteps while giving "him credit where there's credit" due) and the Post's opinion editorials; O'Keefe said that this exposed the Washington Post's "hidden agenda".[231][233]
O'Keefe was criticized for his failed sting, and The Washington Post was praised. Rod Dreher of The American Conservative praised the Post and called on conservative donors to stop giving money to O'Keefe's outfit.[234] Dan McLaughlin of the conservative National Review said that O'Keefe's sting was an "own goal" and that O'Keefe was doing a disservice to the conservative movement;[235] Jim Geraghty of the National Review made a similar assessment.[236] Byron York of The Washington Examiner said that O'Keefe's "idiocy" was "beyond boneheaded", and that "O'Keefe really ought to hang it up."[237] Ben Shapiro, the conservative editor in chief of The Daily Wire, said that the botched sting was "horrible, both morally and effectively".[237] Conor Friedersdorf of The Atlantic wrote, "If James O'Keefe respected the right-wing populists who make up the audience of Project Veritas ... he would tell them the truth about all of the organizations that he targets. Instead, Project Veritas operates in bad faith, an attribute it demonstrated again this week in the aftermath of its bungled attempt to trick The Washington Post."[238] Noah Rothman of the conservative magazine Commentary chastised O'Keefe for being exploitative of his audience: "No longer are institutions like Veritas dedicated to combating ignorance in their audience. They're actively courting it."[239]
Jonathan Chait of New York magazine said that O'Keefe, having set out to prove that the Post was fake news, ended up disproving it. O'Keefe's plot collapsed because it was premised on a ludicrously false worldview, wrote Chait. "The Washington Post does not, in fact, publish unverified accusations just because they're against Republicans." O'Keefe's attempts to prove rampant voter fraud have failed "because voter fraud is not rampant".[240]
In 2018, The Washington Post was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for its coverage of the allegations against Moore, including its exposé of the unsuccessful Project Veritas sting.[7][34]
Attempted stings of perceived enemies of President Trump
The New York Times reported in May 2021 that multiple operatives from Project Veritas were involved in a scheme to discredit FBI employees and other officials who they viewed to be enemies of President Trump. Living out of a large shared home in Georgetown, women employed by Project Veritas went on dates with FBI employees in an attempt to secretly record them denigrating Trump. National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster was a primary target of this operation, though efforts against him ended in March 2018 when McMaster resigned his position.[241]
Nurse Jodi O'Malley unproven claims on COVID-19 vaccines in a series of videos (2021)
Project Veritas released a series of videos, starting on September 20, 2021, and finishing on October 6, 2021, with millions of views on YouTube,[242] showing nurse Jodi O'Malley, who works for the Indian Health Service in Arizona, speaking with a doctor identified as Maria Gonzales.[242][243] Gonzales can be heard saying: "All this is bullshit. Now, [a patient] probably [has] myocarditis due to the vaccine. But now, they are not going to blame the vaccine, they are not reporting it. They want to shove it under the mat."[242] Claims that the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) fails to register reports are misleading. VAERS, which currently contains over 720,000 reports, was designed for purposes of early warning and it may contain "incomplete, inaccurate, coincidental, or unverifiable" information.[242] Despite minor challenges, data from VAERS still is helpful to health regulators such as the CDC and the FDA in their search for vaccine-related adverse effects.[244]
FBI searches relating to theft of Ashley Biden diary
The New York Times reported in November 2021 that the FBI raided the homes of Project Veritas employees as part of a Justice Department investigation into the theft and publication of the diary of Ashley Biden, a daughter of President Joe Biden.[245][246] The right-wing website National File published what it claimed to be the contents of the diary on October 26, 2020.[247][248] The FBI also raided O'Keefe's apartment. O'Keefe confirmed that the FBI searched the homes of current and former employees. In a video statement, O'Keefe said Project Veritas chose not to publish the diary because it could not be authenticated. O'Keefe also said Project Veritas returned the diary to law enforcement and attempted to return it to one of Biden's lawyers, who had "refused to authenticate it".[245][246]
On November 14, 2021, the American Civil Liberties Union published a statement in response to the raid:
Project Veritas has engaged in disgraceful deceptions, and reasonable observers might not consider their activities to be journalism at all. Nevertheless, the precedent set in this case could have serious consequences for press freedom. Unless the government had good reason to believe that Project Veritas employees were directly involved in the criminal theft of the diary, it should not have subjected them to invasive searches and seizures. We urge the court to appoint a special master to ensure that law enforcement officers review only those materials that were lawfully seized and that are directly relevant to a legitimate criminal investigation.
— Brian Hauss, senior staff attorney with the ACLU's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project[249]
The Committee to Protect Journalists, while clarifying that "we do not endorse some of the tactics Project Veritas employs", expressed concern that lacking "a clear link between members of Project Veritas and allegations of criminal activities" the FBI raids and seizure of evidence were a "dangerous precedent that could allow law enforcement to search and confiscate reporters' unpublished source material in vague attempts to identify whistleblowers".[250]
In December 2021, a federal judge appointed Barbara Jones to serve as a special master to ensure prosecutors could not access materials protected by attorney-client privilege and that the group's First Amendment rights as a media organization were protected.[251] Project Veritas issued a letter to the special master in March 2022, alleging that the Justice Department subverted First Amendment protections and secretly seized Veritas' internal emails. Veritas further alleged that the Justice Department issued gag orders to Microsoft, the host of the emails, barring them from revealing the seizures to Veritas.[252][253]
In August 2022, Florida residents Aimee Harris and Robert Kurlander pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing the diary and other items belonging to Ashley Biden, and selling them to Project Veritas. The two agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department's investigation into how the diary was acquired by Project Veritas.[254]
Funding and organization
Much of the funding for Project Veritas comes from anonymous donations through Donors Trust, a conservative, American nonprofit donor-advised fund backed by the Koch brothers, which according to its promotional materials, says that it will "keep your charitable giving private, especially gifts funding sensitive or controversial issues".[2][255][22] Donors Trust provided Project Veritas with gradually increasing cash infusions, including $25,000 in 2011, $922,500 in 2015,[36] $1.7 million in 2016,[20] and over $4 million in 2019.[37]
Other prominent donors include the Donald J. Trump Foundation, which donated $20,000 in 2015,[36] including a $10,000 transfer in May 2015,[38][256] which was made a month before the launch of Donald Trump's presidential campaign.[38] O'Keefe attended, as a guest of the Trump campaign, the final presidential debate, and was later available in the spin room following the Las Vegas event.[260]
The group is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.[261][262] The group's political branch is Project Veritas Action (also known as the Project Veritas Action Fund), a 501(c)(4) organization.[42][263][264]
The Daily Dot reported that they found a pattern in which Project Veritas' supposed whistleblowers "almost all establish crowdfunding pages hyped by Project Veritas within days and hours of going public with their allegations." The Daily Dot provided seven examples in 2019 or 2020: Richard Hopkins, Zach McElroy, Eric Cochran, Cary Poarch, Greg Copolla, Ryan Hartwig, and Omar Jamal, who each raised between $20,000 to over $115,000 on GoFundMe, although in some instances, the money was not disbursed.[265]
In January 2022, the British anti-disinformation organization Logically reported that Project Veritas relied on the Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo to raise money for its supposed whistleblowers.[266]
Journalism and Project Veritas
In the aftermath of the 2022 FBI raid on O'Keefe, Project Veritas said they did journalism and could invoke First Amendment rights that protect members of news media. According to Columbia Journalism Review "the Justice Manual, a departmental handbook, doesn't directly define who qualifies as news media, and thus receives those protections, instead favoring a case-by-case approach. To make its evaluation, the department employs a 'News Media Policy Consultation' form, which (as revealed by a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by Timm and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University) lays out twelve factors for law enforcement agents to consider, including whether the individual possesses press credentials and whether they 'primarily [report] facts, as opposed to expressing opinion'. ... In the case of Veritas, according to filings, prosecutors determined that O'Keefe didn't meet its standards for news media."[267]
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d e Boburg, Shawn (November 30, 2017). "N.Y. attorney general warns Project Veritas its fundraising license is at risk". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Goss, Brian Michael (March 12, 2018). "Veritable Flak Mill". Journalism Studies. 19 (4): 548–563. doi:10.1080/1461670X.2017.1375388. ISSN 1461-670X. S2CID 149185981.
- ^ a b c Kroeger, Brooke (August 31, 2012). "Watchdog". Undercover Reporting: The Truth About Deception. Northwestern University Press. pp. 249–254. ISBN 978-0-8101-2619-0. JSTOR j.ctt22727sf.17. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2020 – via JSTOR.
- ^ a b Dalesio, Emery P. (May 21, 2019). "N Carolina woman sues Project Veritas, founder for libel". Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 18, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- ^ Wolfman-Arent, Avi (May 31, 2018). "N.J. lawmakers question teachers union on undercover videos". WHYY. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- ^ a b c Lakshmanan, Indira A.R. (April 17, 2018). "The Washington Post won a Pulitzer for fighting fake news with facts". Poynter Institute. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
- ^ Rutenberg, Jim (Winter 2018). "How 'Fake News' Changed The New York Times – and Didn't". The Wilson Quarterly. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ Covucci, David (January 14, 2020). "James O'Keefe claims Bernie Sanders will throw Trump fans in gulags". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on March 6, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
O'Keefe is the head of Project Veritas, a far-right outlet that uses misleading edits and various forms of entrapment to try and catch Democrats, liberals, and media members in "shocking" statements.
- ^ Wilson, Jason (July 27, 2018). "What is 'shadow banning', and why did Trump tweet about it?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- ^ Bernd, Candice (November 30, 2017). "James O'Keefe Talks 'Real News' in Dallas After Failing to Plant Fake News at The Washington Post". The Texas Observer. Archived from the original on November 5, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- ^ a b [2][6][7][8][9][10][11]
- ^ a b Deceptive...
- Goss, Brian Michael (March 12, 2018). "Veritable Flak Mill". Journalism Studies. 19 (4): 548–563. doi:10.1080/1461670X.2017.1375388. ISSN 1461-670X. S2CID 149185981.
To wit, Schiller's apparently bemused response to sharia law supposedly on the march was spliced-in from an unrelated moment of the discourse—a blatant deception through editing.
- Tumber, Howard; Waisbord, Silvio (March 24, 2021). The Routledge Companion to Media Disinformation and Populism. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-34678-7. Retrieved March 19, 2021 – via Google Books.
False information can make movements defend the accuracy of their own claims and materials because of doubt sowed by countermovements and governments (Tufekci 2017). For instance, Project Veritas, an alt-right group, has a track record of attacking movements through misleading editing of videos and through fabricated 'sting' operations (Benkler et al. 2018).
- Kroeger, Brooke (August 31, 2012). "Watchdog". Undercover Reporting: The Truth About Deception. Northwestern University Press. pp. 249–254. ISBN 978-0-8101-2619-0. JSTOR j.ctt22727sf.17. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2020 – via JSTOR.
- Czarnecki, Sean (January 19, 2018). "A guide to the 7 types of fake news from Storyful's new editor". PRWeek. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- Choi, Joseph (April 14, 2021). "Matt Gaetz makes six-figure ad buy targeting CNN amid sex trafficking allegations". The Hill. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
The ad includes footage by the far-right activist group Project Veritas that shows a man identified as a CNN employee talking about news coverage of Gaetz, Politico reported. Project Veritas is known for publishing undercover sting footage that has been deceptively edited to reflect badly on organizations and people it disagrees with.
- Pilkington, Ed (November 29, 2017). "Project Veritas: how fake news prize went to rightwing group beloved by Trump". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 11, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- Karbal, Ian W. (November 3, 2020). "How careful local reporting undermined Trump's claims of voter fraud". Columbia Journalism Review. Archived from the original on November 21, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- Sebenius, Alyza; Brody, Ben (June 26, 2019). "Trump suggests U.S. should sue Facebook and Google". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on September 12, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
- Newton, Casey; Brandom, Russell (June 27, 2019). "Project Veritas' YouTube sting was deeply misleading — and successful". The Verge. Archived from the original on June 28, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
- LaCapria, Kim (October 18, 2016). "Project Veritas' Election 2016 'Rigging' Videos". Snopes. Archived from the original on June 30, 2018. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
- Poniewozik, James (March 13, 2011). "The Twisty, Bent Truth of the NPR-Sting Video". Time. Archived from the original on June 14, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- "Video: Dem Activist Brags About Disrupting Trump Rallies". CBS Miami. October 19, 2020. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
- Ellefson, Lindsey (December 2, 2020). "Project Veritas Issues Correction for Misidentifying CNN Employee in Call". TheWrap. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- Goss, Brian Michael (March 12, 2018). "Veritable Flak Mill". Journalism Studies. 19 (4): 548–563. doi:10.1080/1461670X.2017.1375388. ISSN 1461-670X. S2CID 149185981.
- ^ Far-right...
- Tumber, Howard; Waisbord, Silvio (March 24, 2021). The Routledge Companion to Media Disinformation and Populism. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-34678-7. Retrieved March 19, 2021 – via Google Books.
False information can make movements defend the accuracy of their own claims and materials because of doubt sowed by countermovements and governments (Tufekci 2017). For instance, Project Veritas, an alt-right group, has a track record of attacking movements through misleading editing of videos and through fabricated 'sting' operations (Benkler et al. 2018).
- Coleman, Aidan J.; Janes, Katharine M. (July 26, 2021). "Caught on Tape: Establishing the Right of Third-Party Bystanders to Secretly Record the Police". Virginia Law Review. 107. University of Virginia School of Law: 168. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
Project Veritas, a far-right non-profit organization whose methods have sparked controversy, brought a separate challenge to Section 99 that, on appeal, was consolidated with K. Eric Martin and Rene Perez's suit against the Suffolk County District Attorney.
- Gais, Hannah; Hayden, Edison (December 11, 2022). "White Nationalists, Other Republicans Brace for 'Total War'". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
Multiple figures associated with Project Veritas, the hard-right propaganda group that engages in sting operations, attended the NYYRC gala."
"Tyrmand, who is known for his ties to the global radical right, took the stage and lauded the ultranationalist European leaders in attendance. - Karbal, Ian W. (December 14, 2020). "The best journalism of 2020: Covering Trump". Columbia Journalism Review. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
Throughout his presidency, Trump has boosted far-right outlets with a loose relationship to truth, like Breitbart and One America News, into household names. Another such outlet, Project Veritas, apparently directed an employee to plant a false story in the Washington Post about a sexual encounter with Senate candidate Roy Moore. [...] However, careful reporting by Post journalists exposed the sting and revealed the deceitful tactics of far-right actors who brand themselves as journalists.
- Covucci, David (January 14, 2020). "James O'Keefe claims Bernie Sanders will throw Trump fans in gulags". The Daily Dot. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
O'Keefe is the head of Project Veritas, a far-right outlet that uses misleading edits and various forms of entrapment to try and catch Democrats, liberals, and media members in "shocking" statements.
- Wilson, Jason (July 27, 2018). "What is 'shadow banning', and why did Trump tweet about it?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- Seidman, Andrew; Terruso, Julia (January 5, 2021). "Congress is about to formalize Biden's win. Busloads of Pa. Trump supporters are heading to D.C. to protest". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
...refers to posts on far-right websites like Project Veritas.
- Reimann, Nicholas (November 10, 2020). "Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Offering Up To $1 Million For Evidence Of Voter Fraud". Forbes. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
The far-right conspiracy theory-driven group Project Veritas is offering rewards of $25,000 for tips relating to election fraud in Pennsylvania.
- Olalde, Mark (December 4, 2020). "Climate Point: Climate change disrupts life from the Hopi Reservation to Louisiana". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
the Mercer family, who are ardent supporters of President Donald Trump, have given vast sums of money to conservative causes and partly funded the far-right Project Veritas, which tries to secretly record and smear journalists, nonprofits and other targets.
- Miao, Hannah (December 4, 2020). "New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy slams New York Young Republican Club for hosting large, maskless gala in Jersey City amid Covid surge". CNBC. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
Featured attendees at the gala included keynote speaker James O'Keefe, founder of far-right group Project Veritas
- "US House race to watch: Lois Frankel vs Laura Loomer". Al Jazeera. October 31, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
She previously worked undercover for Project Veritas, a far-right organisation known for targeting leftists and anti-fascists.
- Mathers, Matt (December 7, 2020). "AOC embroiled in fresh Twitter row with Marco Rubio over PPP loans". The Independent. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
Project Veritas is a far-right activist group, which says it uses undercover techniques to reveal so-called liberal bias and corruption.
- Foster, Ally (November 12, 2020). "Trump supporters plan massive protests". News.com.au. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
His claims were publicised by Project Veritas, a far-right activist group
- Adler-Bell, Sam (May 23, 2018). "Prosecutors Withheld Evidence That Could Exonerate J20 Inauguration Protesters, Judge Rules". The Intercept. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
The video of the planning meeting was provided to investigators by Project Veritas, a controversial far-right media group known for "sting" operations against its political opponents and the publication of selectively edited videos.
- Min, Janice (March 22, 2021). "Pinterest and the Subtle Poison of Sexism and Racism in Silicon Valley". Time. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
Later, Ozoma's cell-phone number and internal company emails appeared on extremist platforms including 4chan and 8chan following leaks by a white male colleague, a software developer, to Project Veritas, the far-right activist group founded by James O'Keefe. She received threats of rape and death.
- Choi, Joseph (April 14, 2021). "Matt Gaetz makes six-figure ad buy targeting CNN amid sex trafficking allegations". The Hill. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
The ad includes footage by the far-right activist group Project Veritas that shows a man identified as a CNN employee talking about news coverage of Gaetz, Politico reported. Project Veritas is known for publishing undercover sting footage that has been deceptively edited to reflect badly on organizations and people it disagrees with.
- Tumber, Howard; Waisbord, Silvio (March 24, 2021). The Routledge Companion to Media Disinformation and Populism. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-34678-7. Retrieved March 19, 2021 – via Google Books.
- ^ Activist...
- Scherer, Jasper (January 11, 2023). "Conroe brewery backs out of 'rally against censorship' featuring Kyle Rittenhouse". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
Cassandra Spencer, a Defiance Press publishing manager who previously worked for the conservative activist group Project Veritas, is also set to appear at the rally
- "Trump applauds far-right social media provocateurs". AP NEWS. April 21, 2021. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
Trump singled out for praise James O'Keefe, the right-wing activist whose Project Veritas organization once tried to plant a false story in The Washington Post.
- Barry, Dan (November 6, 2022). "In Affluent Greenwich, It's Republicans vs. 'Trumplicans'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
The Greenwich Republican ecosystem is such that James O'Keefe, the founder of the conservative activist group Project Veritas, is practically a local celebrity.
- DePeau-Wilson, Michael (January 31, 2023). "Video of Pfizer Employee Explaining COVID Vaccine Research Debunked". www.medpagetoday.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
Project Veritas, a conservative activist group known for spreading misinformation, recently published a concealed-camera video allegedly showing a Pfizer employee describing the company's COVID-19 vaccine research efforts
- Greene, David (November 29, 2017). "A Conservative On Project Veritas". Morning Edition. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
The conservative activist James O'Keefe and his nonprofit Project Veritas have sprung sting operations on many media organizations, including NPR. In 2011, after one such scheme, NPR pushed out our CEO and also our top fundraiser. These operations often involve undercover videos edited in misleading ways.
- Al-Rawi, Ahmed; Celestini, Carmen; Stewart, Nicole; Worku, Nathan (March 21, 2022). "How Google Autocomplete Algorithms about Conspiracy Theorists Mislead the Public". M/C Journal. 25 (1). doi:10.5204/mcj.2852. eISSN 1441-2616. S2CID 247603535.
The same misleading label can be found via searching for James O'Keefe of Project Veritas, who is positively labelled as "American activist". Veritas is known for releasing audio and video recordings that contain false information designed to discredit academic, political, and service organisations
- Jackson, Sam (2020). The Oath Keepers: patriotism and the edge of violence in a right-wing antigovernment group. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-55031-4.
Groups like Oath Keepers pounced on information provided by Project Veritas—a conservative activist group known for conducting manipulative video stings of progressive organizations—that allegedly documented organized attempts by Democrats to rig the election
- Scherer, Jasper (January 11, 2023). "Conroe brewery backs out of 'rally against censorship' featuring Kyle Rittenhouse". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
- ^ a b Pilkington, Ed (November 29, 2017). "Project Veritas: how fake news prize went to rightwing group beloved by Trump". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 11, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- ^ a b Haag, Matthew (November 27, 2017). "Woman Tried to Dupe Washington Post With False Claim About Roy Moore, Paper Says". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 5, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ Biddle, Sam (June 11, 2019). "Right-Wing sting group Project Veritas is breaking Facebook's "authentic behavior" rule. Now what?". The Intercept. Archived from the original on September 6, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- ^ [1][4][16][17][18]
- ^ a b c d Bennett, W. Lance; Livingston, Steven (October 2020). "The Coordinated Attack on Authoritative Institutions". The Disinformation Age. Cambridge University Press. pp. 261–294. doi:10.1017/9781108914628.011. ISBN 978-1-108-91462-8. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- ^ Damann, Taylor (January 8, 2019). "Project Veritas and the Changing Face of Fake News". Gateway Journalism Review. 47 (351). Southern Illinois University Carbondale. ISSN 2158-7345. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
Project Veritas seems to only consider influencing political outcomes, though. O'Keefe's open pride in affecting the employment of several individuals in leadership for various liberal media outlets, his hand in influencing political elections, or even influencing public opinion on abortion are striking. Conducting guerrilla journalism that seeks to expose only liberals and Democrats is inherently ideological.
- ^ a b O'Harrow, Robert Jr (December 1, 2017). "Project Veritas received $1.7 million last year from charity associated with the Koch brothers". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
- ^ Disinformation...
- Goss, Brian Michael (March 12, 2018). "Veritable Flak Mill". Journalism Studies. 19 (4): 548–563. doi:10.1080/1461670X.2017.1375388. ISSN 1461-670X. S2CID 149185981.
- Tumber, Howard; Waisbord, Silvio (March 24, 2021). The Routledge Companion to Media Disinformation and Populism. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-34678-7. Retrieved March 19, 2021 – via Google Books.
False information can make movements defend the accuracy of their own claims and materials because of doubt sowed by countermovements and governments (Tufekci 2017). For instance, Project Veritas, an alt-right group, has a track record of attacking movements through misleading editing of videos and through fabricated 'sting' operations (Benkler et al. 2018).
- Benkler, Yochai; Faris, Rob; Roberts, Hal (October 2018). "What Can Men Do Against Such Reckless Hate?". Network Propaganda: Manipulation, Disinformation and Radicalization in American Politics. Oxford University Press. p. 358. doi:10.1093/oso/9780190923624.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-092362-4. OCLC 1045162158. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
In November 2017, for example, the right-wing disinformation outfit Project Veritas tried to trip up The Washington Post, offering the Post a fake informant who told the Post that Roy Moore had impregnated her when she was a teenager.
- Kroeger, Brooke (August 31, 2012). "Watchdog". Undercover Reporting: The Truth About Deception. Northwestern University Press. pp. 249–254. ISBN 978-0-8101-2619-0. JSTOR j.ctt22727sf.17. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2020 – via JSTOR.
- Czarnecki, Sean (January 19, 2018). "A guide to the 7 types of fake news from Storyful's new editor". PRWeek. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- Hellinger, Daniel C. (2019). "Globalization, Populism, Conspiracism". Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories in the Age of Trump. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 141–184. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-98158-1_5. ISBN 978-3-319-98157-4. S2CID 158077533.
- Cagé, Julia (February 11, 2021). "From Philanthropy to Democracy: Rethinking Governance and Funding of High-Quality News in the Digital Age". In Bernholz, Lucy; Landemore, Hélène; Reich, Rob (eds.). Digital Technology and Democratic Theory. University of Chicago Press. doi:10.7208/chicago/9780226748603.003.0010. ISBN 978-0-226-74843-6. Retrieved March 27, 2021 – via Google Books.
An additional example of the growing spread of fake news financed by billionaires is Project Veritas, an organization run by James O'Keefe that specializes in operations against the media (e.g., recently against The Washington Post and The New York Times). According to The Washington Post, relying on documents fielded [sic] with the International [sic] Revenue Service, Project Veritas received $1.7 million in 2017 from charity associated with the Koch brothers. Furthermore, other contributors to Project Veritas in recent years include Gravitas Maximus LLC, an organization controlled by the Mercer family.
[a] - Garcia-Camargo, Isabella; Stamos, Alex; Cryst, Elena; Bak-Coleman, Joe; Starbird, Kate; Schafer, Joey (September 29, 2020). "Project Veritas #BallotHarvesting Amplification". Election Integrity Partnership. Archived from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- Astor, Maggie (September 29, 2020). "Project Veritas Video Was a 'Coordinated Disinformation Campaign', Researchers Say". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
[Project Veritas is] a great example of what a coordinated disinformation campaign looks like
- Arnold, Amanda (January 7, 2021). "5 People Are Dead Following Violent Siege at U.S. Capitol". The Cut. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- Palmer, Scott (November 6, 2019). "ABC News anchor says Jeffrey Epstein exposé killed by Royal palace's threats". Newshub. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- Wolfman-Arent, Avi (May 31, 2018). "N.J. lawmakers question teachers union on undercover videos". WHYY. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- ^ Reimann, Nicholas (November 10, 2020). "Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Offering Up To $1 Million For Evidence Of Voter Fraud". Forbes. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
The far-right conspiracy theory-driven group Project Veritas is offering rewards of $25,000 for tips relating to election fraud in Pennsylvania.
- ^ Tolz, Vera (December 3, 2020). "Troll Factories". London Review of Books. Vol. 3, no. 23. ISSN 0260-9592. Archived from the original on December 30, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
Right-wing conspiracy theories are spread by homegrown US outfits such as Project Veritas, started in 2010 by James O'Keefe, and Infowars, set up a decade earlier by Alex Jones.
- ^ Rhodes, Wendy. "Laura Loomer won nomination — but how deep is GOP support?". The Palm Beach Post. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
Project Veritas is a right-wing conspiracy theory website that critics say relies on doctored videos and aggressive, videotaped altercations to promote radical ideas and often baseless conspiracy theories in an attempt to discredit those they oppose.
- ^ Phelan, Matthew; Hicks, Jesse (August 3, 2020). "Inside the Project Veritas Plan to Steal the Election". The New Republic. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
For an operation premised on conspiracy theories and fueled by raging paranoia, it will come as no surprise that the agents helping to spearhead Project Veritas's election mischief are oddballs on the fringes of American political life.
- ^ Walsh, Joe (November 10, 2020). "Mailman Recants Bogus Voter Fraud Allegation That Launched A GOP Conspiracy". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
O'Keefe is best known for his hidden camera sting operations against people whom he perceives to be left-wing. Over the last week, Project Veritas has converted itself into a hub for thinly-sourced and outright implausible voter fraud conspiracy theories, including a claim that Michigan USPS workers were backdating mail-in ballots — even though Michigan does not even accept mail-in ballots delivered after Election Day in the first place.
- ^ Dernbach, Becky Z.; Ansari, Hibah; Peters, Joey (September 29, 2020). "How did an August primary election in Minneapolis turn into a national right-wing disinformation campaign against absentee ballots?". Sahan Journal. Archived from the original on October 4, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
A right-wing conspiracy outfit partners with a man of questionable reputation in the Somali community to allege "ballot harvesting fraud" in Minnesota. [...] Again though, with all the anonymous sources and vague allegations, even people sympathetic to O'Keefe's conspiracy theory may have trouble following the plotline.
- ^ Chait, Jonathan (November 27, 2017). "Conservative Tries to Prove Washington Post Is Fake News, Proves Opposite". New York. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
James O'Keefe is a celebrated right-wing pseudo-journalist whose job consists largely of attempting to prove various conservative conspiracy theories but, instead, accidentally disproving them. [...] But this larger conceptual problem with O'Keefe's enterprise creates a secondary problem, which is that the people who are dumb enough to believe these conspiracy theories are not generally smart enough to carry out a competent entrapment scheme.
- ^ [24][25][26][27][28][29][30]
- ^ a b c Poniewozik, James (March 17, 2011). "Hatchet Job: The Video Hit Piece that Made Both NPR and Its Critics Look Bad". Time. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
- ^ a b Benkler, Yochai; Faris, Rob; Roberts, Hal (October 2018). "What Can Men Do Against Such Reckless Hate?". Network Propaganda: Manipulation, Disinformation and Radicalization in American Politics. Oxford University Press. p. 358. doi:10.1093/oso/9780190923624.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-092362-4. OCLC 1045162158. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
In November 2017, for example, the right-wing disinformation outfit Project Veritas tried to trip up The Washington Post, offering the Post a fake informant who told the Post that Roy Moore had impregnated her when she was a teenager.
- ^ a b "Staff of The Washington Post – The Pulitzer Prizes". The Pulitzer Prizes. 2018. Archived from the original on December 17, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
- ^ a b Stempel, Jonathan (September 23, 2022). "Project Veritas loses jury verdict to Democratic consulting firm". Reuters. Archived from the original on September 23, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ a b c Rom, Gabriel; Wilson, Colleen (November 28, 2017). "Project Veritas: Millions poured into Mamaroneck nonprofit as controversy swirled". The Journal News. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- ^ a b Schwartz, Brian (January 13, 2021). "Dark-money GOP fund funneled millions of dollars to groups that pushed voter fraud claims". CNBC. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Hellinger, Daniel C. (2019). "Globalization, Populism, Conspiracism". Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories in the Age of Trump. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 141–184. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-98158-1_5. ISBN 978-3-319-98157-4. S2CID 158077533.
- ^ Mazzetti, Mark; Goldman, Adam (March 7, 2020). "Erik Prince Recruits Ex-Spies to Help Infiltrate Liberal Groups". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 8, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe out at right-wing org". Associated Press. February 20, 2023. Archived from the original on January 9, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
- ^ a b Falzone, Diana; McLaughlin, Aidan (September 21, 2023). "Project Veritas Suspends All Operations". Mediaite. Archived from the original on February 9, 2024. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ a b Vogel, Kenneth P. (December 7, 2017). "James O'Keefe, Practitioner of the Sting, Has an Ally in Trump". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019.
- ^ a b Stanley-Becker, Isaac (February 20, 2023). "James O'Keefe is out at Project Veritas after internal power struggle". Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 16, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
- ^ "Latest Clinton Sting Doesn't Live Up to Its Hype". Time. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- ^ a b Bump, Philip (March 12, 2013). "O'Keefe's ACORN Video Accomplice Already Had to Pay $50,000". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
- ^ a b Bump, Philip (March 7, 2013). "One of James O'Keefe's ACORN Videos Is Costing Him $100,000". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on June 19, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ^ a b Friedersdorf, Conor (March 8, 2013). "Andrew Breitbart and James O'Keefe Ruined Him, and Now He Gets $100,000". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- ^ "Filmmaker Pays $100K To Settle ACORN Privacy Suit – Law360". www.law360.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ^ Perry, Tony (March 7, 2013). "Conservative activist pays $100,000 to former ACORN worker". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 23, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
- ^ [2][45][46][47][48][49]
- ^ Boburg, Shawn; Davis, Aaron C.; Crites, Alice (November 27, 2017). "A woman approached The Post with dramatic — and false — tale about Roy Moore. She appears to be part of undercover sting operation". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 12, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ "Project Veritas head mocks Washington Post's handling of hoax". CBS News. November 30, 2017. Archived from the original on August 19, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ Boburg, Shawn (December 8, 2017). "Florida bars Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe from fundraising due to criminal conviction". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 16, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- ^ "Project Veritas leader James O'Keefe barred from fundraising in Florida". Tampa Bay Times. December 8, 2017. Archived from the original on August 19, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ Markay, Lachlan (December 6, 2017). "James O'Keefe Forgot to Tell Regulators About His Past Conviction. Now, Project Veritas May Be in Trouble". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
- ^ Hodjat, Arya (February 11, 2021). "Twitter Suspends Right-Wing Activist Group Project Veritas, James O'Keefe". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ Fung, Brian (February 11, 2021). "Twitter permanently bans Project Veritas account". CNN. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021.
- ^ Walsh, Joe (April 15, 2021). "Twitter Bans Veritas Founder James O'Keefe — He Threatens Lawsuit In Response". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ Oshin, Olafimihan (April 15, 2021). "Twitter permanently suspends Project Veritas's James O'Keefe". The Hill. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ Lorenz, Taylor (November 24, 2022). "'Opening the gates of hell': Musk says he will revive banned accounts". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
- ^ Bolies, Corbin (September 3, 2021). "Project Veritas Headquarters Destroyed in Ida Floods". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ McKay, Tom (September 3, 2021). "Ida Leaves Project Veritas's New York Office In Shambles". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ Thalen, Mikael (September 13, 2021). "Project Veritas says hackers scammed it out of $165,000". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ Schmidt, Michael S.; Fahrenthold, David A.; Goldman, Adam (February 20, 2023). "James O'Keefe Leaves His Post as the Leader of Project Veritas". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 13, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
- ^ Sommer, Will (September 6, 2023). "Project Veritas audit accuses 'untouchable' founder of improper spending". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
- ^ Sommer, Will (May 31, 2023). "Project Veritas sues founder James O'Keefe over his messy departure". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
- ^ Sheth, Jacob; Shamsian, Sonam (May 31, 2023). "Project Veritas sues its founder James O'Keefe, alleging he set up a competitor and wooed donors while on the company's payroll". Business Insider. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
- ^ a b Moynihan, Colin (May 9, 2023). "Project Veritas Settles Suits That Portrayed It as Mistreating Its Employees". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 21, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
- ^ Reilly, Liam (December 11, 2023). "Project Veritas CEO quits, citing 'strong evidence of past illegality and past financial improprieties'". CNN. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
- ^ Goldman, Adam; Mazzetti, Mark (November 11, 2021). "Project Veritas and the Line Between Journalism and Political Spying". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ Jedeed, Laura (February 1, 2022). "Too Much Vino and Project Veritas: My Extremely Weird Evening with James O'Keefe". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 30, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
- ^ Dewan, Shaila (February 26, 2010). "To Court Blacks, Foes of Abortion Make Racial Case". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 2, 2010. Retrieved March 20, 2010.
- ^ Cameron, Dell (July 16, 2015). "Republican candidates embrace dubious actors behind this week's Planned Parenthood video". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- ^ Thompson, Krissah (January 21, 2014). "Two young women drive antiabortion movement's revival". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- ^ Abcarian, Robin (April 26, 2009). "Abortion foe goes undercover". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- ^ "Washington Post Says It Was The Target Of A Sting". WBUR. November 28, 2017. Archived from the original on October 15, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- ^ "James O'Keefe's Targets Sue Undercover Filmmaker for $1 Million". Time. Archived from the original on August 3, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- ^ Stelter, Brian (November 28, 2017). "James O'Keefe on the defensive after failed anti-Post plot". CNN Business. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- ^ a b "Report of the Attorney General on the Activities of ACORN in California" (PDF). California Dept of Justice. April 1, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 12, 2011. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
- ^ Fears, Darryl; Leonnig, Carol D. (September 18, 2009). "Duo in ACORN Videos Say Effort Was Independent". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
- ^ According to the California Attorney General's investigation report, p. 8, the recordings occurred in ACORN offices in eight cities: Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Brooklyn, Miami, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Bernardino.
- ^ Shane, Scott (September 18, 2009). "A Political Gadfly Lampoons the Left via YouTube". The New York Times. p. A9. Archived from the original on May 13, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ Mock, Brentin (January 27, 2010). "O'Keefe: Neither Pimp nor Journalist". The Lens. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Folkenflik, David (March 14, 2011). "Elements of NPR Gotcha Video Taken out of Context". NPR. Archived from the original on June 11, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Poniewozik, James (March 13, 2011). "The Twisty, Bent Truth of the NPR-Sting Video". Time. Archived from the original on June 14, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2011.
- ^ Public Sociology Archived October 11, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, Philip Nyden, Leslie Hossfeld, Gwendolyn Nyden. SAGE Publications, 2011
- ^ McGreal, Chris (September 21, 2009). "Congress cuts funding to embattled anti-poverty group Acorn". The Guardian. London, UK. Archived from the original on September 7, 2013. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- ^ "Census Bureau Drops Acorn From 2010 Effort". The New York Times. September 12, 2009. Archived from the original on July 7, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
- ^ Theimer, Sharon (September 16, 2009). "Embattled ACORN orders independent investigation". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 11, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
- ^ Rutenberg, Jim (September 23, 2009). "Acorn Hires Former State Law Enforcer". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 13, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
- ^ James, Frank (December 7, 2009). "ACORN Workers Cleared Of Illegality By Outside Probe". NPR. Archived from the original on May 11, 2011. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
- ^ Kaminer, Wendy (December 8, 2009). "ACORN and the Ethics of Leadership". Atlantic Monthly. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
- ^ Tarm, Michael (March 22, 2010). "ACORN disbanding because of money woes, scandal". ABC News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 30, 2010. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
- ^ Newman, Andrew (March 1, 2010). "Advice to Fake Pimp Was No Crime, Prosecutor Says". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 25, 2010. Retrieved March 7, 2010.
- ^ Reynolds, Matt (August 14, 2012). "Former ACORN Worker Can Sue Right-Winger on Privacy Claim". Courthouse News Service. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ Grove, Lloyd (February 28, 2020). "James O'Keefe Takes Victory Lap on ABC News Sting, but His Favorite Media Sage Isn't Celebrating: 'Good Grief'". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021 – via www.thedailybeast.com.
- ^ Perry, Tony (March 7, 2013). "Conservative activist pays $100,000 to former ACORN worker". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
- ^ Miller, Sean J. (June 20, 2010). "ACORN gets 'vindicated' by GAO, but remains in decline". The Hill. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
- ^ "Preliminary report clears ACORN on funds". CNN. June 15, 2010. Archived from the original on August 29, 2010. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Rundquist, Jeanette; DeMarco, Megan (October 27, 2010). "Video puts NJEA in hot seat". The Star-Ledger. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
- ^ Method, Jason (October 26, 2010). "Teacher's Union Gone Wild: James O'Keefe digs into NJEA with new 'undercover' video". Asbury Park Press. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
- ^ a b "Hidden video by conservative activist James O'Keefe renews NJEA, Gov. Christie dispute". NJ.com. October 27, 2010. Archived from the original on November 28, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ a b Metzler, Rebekah (August 12, 2011). "'Sting' Video Stirs Fraud Debate". Portland Press Herald. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
- ^ Chafets, Zev (July 27, 2011). "Stinger: James O'Keefe's Greatest Hits". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 19, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
O'Keefe grew up in Westwood, N.J., and still lives with his parents.
- ^ a b Christian, Ken (August 11, 2011). "Undercover video hints at potential for welfare fraud". WCSH6.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2013.
Gov. Paul LePage regarding the video: "The video in its entirety does not show a person willfully helping someone defraud the welfare system."
- ^ "Ohio's Medicaid Investigated After Undercover Video Released Online". WBNS-10TV. July 20, 2011. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
Assuming (the video is) accurate, it's unacceptable", said Ben Johnson of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. "The video is incredibly troubling. I'm less concerned with the filmmakers and what their motivations might have been, and more concerned with making sure we're spending taxpayer money appropriately, that we're rooting out fraud, wherever it is, and that we're running a clean program. The end result of this is we're going to take this video and we're going to use it as a training video.
- ^ Pyle, Encarnacion (July 21, 2011). "Embarrassing video sting spurs worker training". Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved May 29, 2013.
- ^ Meola, Olympia (July 22, 2011). "McDonnell seeks review of Richmond Medicaid office video". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- ^ a b Smith, Bruce (July 20, 2011). "S.C. investigates after conservative group posts Medicaid video". Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved May 29, 2013.
- ^ Vogel, Kenneth P. (November 17, 2011b). "The derailed plans of James O'Keefe". Politico. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
- ^ "NPR executive criticizes tea party". The Mercury News. March 8, 2011. Archived from the original on May 8, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
- ^ Hagey, Keach (March 8, 2011). "NPR exec: Tea Party is 'scary', 'racist'". Politico. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
- ^ Memmott, Mark (March 14, 2011). "NPR: O'Keefe 'Inappropriately Edited' Video; Exec's Words Still 'Egregious'". NPR. Archived from the original on November 12, 2019.
- ^ Folkenflik, David (March 14, 2011). "Elements Of NPR Gotcha Video Taken Out Of Context". NPR. Archived from the original on June 11, 2019.
- ^ a b Moore, Martha T. (March 17, 2010). "NPR sting raises questions about media ethics, influence". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
- ^ Meares, Joel (March 8, 2011). "New Scandal: Approach With Caution (UPDATED)". Columbia Journalism Review. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
- ^ Gerson, Michael (March 24, 2011). "The NPR video and political dirty tricks". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Activist releases another recording with an NPR fundraising executive". CNN. March 11, 2011. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
- ^ Weigel, Dave (August 8, 2011). "NPR Publishes E-Mails From Top Staff Stating Problems With "Muslim Group's" Offer of $5 Million". Slate.com. Archived from the original on May 18, 2011.
- ^ Good, Chris (March 8, 2011). "What James O'Keefe's Latest Video Means for NPR Funding". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019.
- ^ Camia, Catalina (March 8, 2011). "NPR executive calls Tea Party supporters 'racist'". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Memmott, Mark (March 8, 2011). "In Video: NPR Exec Slams Tea Party, Questions Need For Federal Funds". NPR. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021.
- ^ Memmott, Mark (March 9, 2011). "NPR CEO Vivian Schiller resigns". NPR. Archived from the original on March 10, 2011. Retrieved March 9, 2011.
- ^ Adams, Russell (March 9, 2011). "NPR Executive Cedes New Role at Aspen Institute". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 3, 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Stelter, Brian (March 8, 2011). "NPR Executive Caught Calling Tea Partiers 'Racist'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021.
- ^ Oliphant, James (March 10, 2011). "NPR president's resignation fuels foes of public broadcasting funding". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Parnass, Sarah (January 12, 2012). "James O'Keefe Video Purports to Show Ease of Voter Fraud in N.H. Primary". ABC News. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
- ^ Battenfeld, Joe (January 10, 2012). "Would-be dead man voter stopped at polls". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on May 13, 2012.
- ^ a b Favate, Sam (January 12, 2012). "Might Conservative Activists Face Criminal Charges for Voter ID Stunt?". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 15, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
- ^ a b "Group Says It Got Primary Ballots With Dead People's Names". WMUR-9. January 12, 2012. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012.
- ^ Spolar, Matthew (January 12, 2012). "Hidden Video Said to Show Voter Fraud". Concord Monitor. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ "NH AG quietly dropped probe of conservative activist James O'Keefe after election". New Hampshire Union Leader. July 16, 2013. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
- ^ "US politician's son resigns over 'voter fraud' video". BBC News. October 25, 2012. Archived from the original on June 17, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
- ^ a b Haines, Errin (October 24, 2012). "Moran's son resigns from campaign amid video furor". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 23, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
- ^ Spencer, Jason (October 25, 2012). "Arlington Police Looking Into 'Every Component' of Moran Video". Arlington Patch. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013.
- ^ "UPDATE: Police Investigation of Election Offense Allegations Concludes". Arlington County, Virginia. January 31, 2013. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
- ^ Murdick, Deroy (February 19, 2014). "Project Veritas Unmasks Fresh Dem Voter Fraud in Texas". National Review. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^ Gonzalez, John W. (April 8, 2014). "Court rejects complaint against Battleground Texas". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^ Tomlinson, Chris (April 7, 2014). "Judge stops investigation into Battleground Texas". KXAN. Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
- ^ Abrams, Lindsay (May 22, 2014). "James O'Keefe's anti-fracking scam backfires". Salon. Archived from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
- ^ Dickson, Caitlin (May 22, 2014). "Inside a Hollywood Hit Job: How Sting Artist James O'Keefe Tried to Set His Latest Trap – And Got Stung Himself". The Daily Beast. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
- ^ Weiss, Brennan (November 28, 2017). "The 33-year-old who tried to trick the Washington Post with a fake sexual harassment story has a long history of sting operations backfiring". Business Insider. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
- ^ Weigel, David (October 19, 2016). "Two Democratic operatives lose jobs after James O'Keefe sting". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
- ^ Corn, David (October 27, 2016). "James O'Keefe's New Story About the 47 Percent Video is Totally False". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on May 30, 2020.
- ^ a b Detrow, Scott (October 19, 2016). "Sting Video Purports To Show Democrats Describing How To Commit Voter Fraud". NPR. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Conservative activist James O'Keefe exposes possible Democratic foul play in video". CBS. October 19, 2016. Archived from the original on October 21, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ^ a b Eder, Steve; Martin, Jonathan (October 20, 2016). "Videos Put Democrats on Defensive About Dirty Tricks". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020.
- ^ Raymond, Adam K. (October 19, 2016). "James O'Keefe's Latest Videos Cost Two Dem Operatives Their Jobs". New York. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
- ^ Marley, Patrick. "Attorney General Brad Schimel concludes for the second time Project Veritas videos show no voter fraud by Dem activist". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- ^ Rappeport, Alan (October 19, 2016). "Right-Wing Video Suggests D.N.C. Contractors Schemed to Incite Chaos at Donald Trump Rallies (Published 2016)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
- ^ Wise, Hannah (October 19, 2016). "Democratic contractor accused of promoting violence at Trump rallies fired over undercover videos". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
- ^ a b Diaz, Daniella; Griffin, Drew (October 18, 2016). "Dem operative 'stepping back' after video suggests group incited violence at Trump rallies". CNN. Archived from the original on October 19, 2016. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ^ Mark Hensch, "O'Keefe files FEC complaint against Clinton camp, DNC" , The Hill, October 21, 2016.
- ^ Elliott, Philip (June 1, 2017). "James O'Keefe's Targets Sue Undercover Filmmaker for $1 Million". Time. Archived from the original on June 4, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
- ^ Goldman, Adam (September 23, 2022). "Jury Rules Against Project Veritas in Lawsuit". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 23, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ Frizell, Sam (October 26, 2016). "Hillary Clinton Knew About Donald Duck Stunt But Never Broke Law, Campaign Says". Time. Archived from the original on October 27, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
- ^ Elliott, Philip (October 27, 2016). "Latest Clinton Sting Doesn't Live Up to Its Hype". Time. Archived from the original on October 30, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
- ^ Grim, Ryan (January 9, 2017). "Counter-Sting Catches James O'Keefe Network Attempting To Sow Chaos At Trump's Inauguration". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on January 16, 2017. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
- ^ Palma, Bethania (January 17, 2017). "James O'Keefe and Progressive Group 'Sting' Each Other". Snopes. Archived from the original on October 8, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
- ^ Palma, Bethania (January 18, 2017). "Progressive Group Claims to 'Sting' Sting Video Maker James O'Keefe". Snopes. Archived from the original on October 8, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
- ^ Hermann, Peter (January 25, 2017). "Meetings of activists planning to disrupt inauguration were infiltrated by conservative group". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 31, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
- ^ Hermann, Peter (March 7, 2017). "Protester pleads guilty to conspiring to disrupt DeploraBall for Trump supporters". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 9, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
- ^ a b c Toure, Madina (October 18, 2016). "NYC Elections Official Scoffs at Mayor's Call for Him to Resign Over Voter Fraud Claims". The New York Observer. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ Chung, Frank (October 13, 2016). "Hidden video exposes election bombshell". news.com.au. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
- ^ "Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Appears live on WNYC". City of New York. October 14, 2016. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
- ^ LaCapria, Kim (October 18, 2016). "Project Veritas' Election 2016 'Rigging' Videos". Snopes. Archived from the original on June 30, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
- ^ Silberstein, Rachel (February 22, 2017). "Schneiderman: 'Not one single substantiated claim of voter fraud in New York last year'". Gotham Gazette. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Farhi, Paul (June 28, 2017). "What the latest James O'Keefe video leaves out". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 12, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ^ Yu, Roger (June 27, 2017). "CNN shrugs off Veritas video as Trump lashes out at network". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
- ^ a b Tani, Maxwell (June 27, 2017). "Sarah Huckabee Sanders tells 'everybody across the country' to watch video of CNN producer calling Russia coverage 'bull----'". Business Insider. Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
- ^ a b Concha, Joe (June 28, 2017). "O'Keefe video shows CNN's Van Jones calling Russia story a 'nothingburger'". The Hill. Archived from the original on March 13, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
- ^ Tani, Maxwell (June 28, 2017). "CNN issues pithy one-word response to undercover video sting attempting to embarrass Van Jones". Business Insider. Archived from the original on June 28, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
- ^ Balluck, Kyle (June 28, 2017). "Trump posts O'Keefe videos on Instagram". The Hill. Archived from the original on June 29, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
- ^ a b c Rowland, Geoffrey (June 30, 2017). "CNN producer on new O'Keefe video: Voters are 'stupid;' Trump is 'crazy'". The Hill. Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ^ Fisher, Perri (July 5, 2017). "CNN Project Veritas Video Reveals Producer Criticizing Chris Cuomo, Doubling Down On Voter Comments". Inquistr. Archived from the original on July 30, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
- ^ Pries, Allison (May 3, 2018). "Teacher union president suspended after allegedly saying 'I'm here to defend even the worst people'". NJ.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
- ^ McDonald, Terrence T. (May 3, 2018). "2nd N.J. teachers union prez suspended after undercover video". NJ.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
- ^ a b Bichao, Sergio (January 19, 2019). "'I'm a victim' — NJ district can't fire disgraced teachers union president". New Jersey 101.5. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Feiner, Lauren (August 19, 2019). "Trump tweets without evidence that Google 'manipulated' votes in the 2016 election and 'should be sued'". CNBC. Archived from the original on April 23, 2020.
- ^ Folkenflik, David (November 11, 2019). "ABC News Defends Its Epstein Coverage After Leaked Video Of Anchor". NPR. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Astor, Maggie (September 29, 2020). "Project Veritas Video Was a 'Coordinated Disinformation Campaign', Researchers Say". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f Palma, Bethania (October 1, 2020). "Viral Video Spreads Unfounded Claim About Rep. Ilhan Omar and Voter Fraud". Snopes. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
- ^ a b Caldera, Camille (October 16, 2020). "Fact check: No proof of alleged voter fraud scheme or connection to Rep. Ilhan Omar". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
- ^ Petrizzo, Zachary (October 1, 2020). "This voter fraud insider touted by Trump runs a non-existent organization". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on October 3, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- ^ Murphy, Esme (September 29, 2020). "'Project Veritas' Report Claims Ilhan Omar Supporters Harvested Ballots". WCCO. Archived from the original on October 4, 2020. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Lyden, Tom (October 6, 2020). "Subject of Project Veritas voter fraud story says he was offered bribe". FOX 9. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- ^ Spencer, Saranac (November 12, 2020). "Pennsylvania Postal Worker Waffles on Election Fraud Claim". FactCheck.Org. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
- ^ a b c Boburg, Shawn; Bogage, Jacob (November 11, 2020). "Postal worker recanted allegations of ballot tampering, officials say". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Bogage, Jacob; Boburg, Shawn (March 17, 2021). "Postal Service finds no evidence of mail ballot fraud in Pa. case cited by top Republicans". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
- ^ "Postal worker recants false fraud claims cited by Trump campaign, top Republicans: Dem aide". ABC News. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
- ^ "Project Veritas could face legal liability for postal worker's ballot fraud allegations, experts say". news.yahoo.com. November 14, 2020. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
- ^ Spencer, Saranac Hale (November 13, 2020). "Pennsylvania Postal Worker Waffles on Election Fraud Claim". Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
- ^ Boburg, Shawn; Bogage, Jacob; Bennett, Dalton (November 12, 2020). "Audio recording shows Pa. postal worker recanting ballot-tampering claim". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ^ Reilly, Ryan J. (February 5, 2024). "James O'Keefe and Project Veritas settle suit over bogus voter fraud claims cited by Trump campaign". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 9, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
- ^ "Project Veritas admits there was no evidence of election fraud at Erie post office in 2020". AP News. February 6, 2024. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
- ^ Blackman, Jeremy (January 13, 2021). "Texas woman arrested on election fraud charges based on Project Veritas video". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ Dunphy, Mark (March 2, 2021). "San Antonio woman accused of election fraud gave voter gift bag, arrest warrants allege". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ Collier, Dillon (January 29, 2021). "Citing 'false and misleading statements', attorney for arrested SA campaign worker wants warrants tossed out". KSAT. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ Bombshell: NH Elections Official: 'I Voted Twice'. Project Veritas. September 30, 2020. Archived from the original on June 27, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ Merriman, Anna (September 4, 2020). "Lebanon man charged with voting twice in 2016 – once as a man, once as a woman". Concord Monitor. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ "Man pleads guilty to voting twice in 2016 general election". AP NEWS. February 18, 2021. Archived from the original on June 27, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ "Vincent Marzello Pled Guilty to Wrongful Voting during the November 2016 General Election". www.doj.nh.gov (Press release). NH Department of Justice. February 17, 2021. Archived from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ PBS lawyer resigns after being caught in Veritas sting, Associated Press, January 12, 2021, Archive
- ^ PBS distances itself from former staff attorney ensnared in Project Veritas sting, Current, January 12, 2021, Archive
- ^ PBS Addresses Project Veritas Video, PBS, January 15, 2021, Archive
- ^ Liles, Jordan (January 31, 2023). "Breaking Down the Project Veritas Video About Pfizer Purportedly Exploring 'Mutating' COVID-19". Snopes. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Vitelli, Laura (February 9, 2023). "False: This video proves that Pfizer is conducting gain-of-function research". Logically. Archived from the original on October 11, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e McDonald, Jessica (February 24, 2023). "No Evidence Pfizer Conducting Any Inappropriate Coronavirus Experiments". FactCheck.org. Archived from the original on January 13, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- ^ Haag, Christian; Kristensen, Nikolaj; Faerseth, John (June 5, 2023). "Conspiracy film 'Died Suddenly: Final Days' filled with falsehoods". Logically. Archived from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- ^ Hammer, David (January 26, 2010). "ACORN 'gotcha' man arrested in attempt to tamper with Mary Landrieu's office phones". NOLA.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018.
- ^ Leonnig, Carol D.; Franke-Ruta, Garance (January 27, 2011). "James O'Keefe charged in alleged phone tampering of Senator Mary Landrieu's office". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018.
- ^ "Four Men Arrested for Entering Government Property Under False Pretenses for the Purpose of Committing a Felony" (Press release). The FBI – New Orleans Division. January 26, 2010. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
- ^ Robertson, Campbell (March 26, 2010). "4 Charged in Incident at Office of Senator". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 31, 2010. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
- ^ Gerstein, Josh (March 26, 2010). "Minor charges filed in Landrieu office flap". Politico. Archived from the original on March 29, 2010. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
- ^ Russell, Gordon (May 20, 2010). "Handling of Mary Landrieu office caper case called very unusual". The Times-Picayune. Archived from the original on May 23, 2010. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
- ^ "Four Men Plead Guilty to Entering Federal Property Under FalsePretenses Entered Senator Mary Landrieu's Office to Secretly Record Office Staff Conversations". The FBI – New Orleans Division. May 26, 2010. Archived from the original on May 31, 2010. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
- ^ "Journalist provocateur James O'Keefe posts video of confrontation with Jim Letten". NOLA.com. August 26, 2013. Archived from the original on July 7, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
- ^ a b c d Zamost, Scott (September 29, 2010). "Fake pimp from ACORN videos tries to 'punk' CNN correspondent". CNN. Archived from the original on September 30, 2010. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Montopoli, Brian (September 29, 2010). "ACORN Foe James O'Keefe Sought to Embarrass CNN's Abbie Boudreau on Porn-Strewn "Palace of Pleasure" Boat". CBS News. Archived from the original on October 1, 2010. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
- ^ "Punking' CNN: The following highlights the relevant portions of a 13-page document obtained by CNN outlining a plan to 'punk' CNN". CNN. September 29, 2010. Archived from the original on October 2, 2010. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
- ^ Boudreau, Abbie (September 29, 2010). "Our Documentary Takes A Strange Detour". CNN. Archived from the original on October 3, 2010. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
- ^ Vogel, Kenneth P. (November 17, 2011). "James O'Keefe's plans derailed by infighting, lack of funding". Politico. Archived from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
- ^ a b Kroll, Andy (October 20, 2014). "Colorado Dems: We Caught James O'Keefe and His Friends Trying to Bait Us Into Approving Voter Fraud". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on October 29, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Cheek, Tessa (October 23, 2014). "O'Keefe uncovers hypothetical support for hypothetical voter fraud". The Colorado Independent. Archived from the original on July 21, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
- ^ Murrray, John (October 22, 2014). "Video activist James O'Keefe targets Colorado's new mail voting law, Democratic groups". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
- ^ Mayer, Jane (May 20, 2016). "Sting of Myself". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on May 22, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
- ^ Mayer, Jane (May 20, 2016). "Transcript of James O'Keefe's Call to the Open Society Foundations". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
- ^ Reinhard, Beth; Davis, Aaron C.; Tran, Andrew Ba (November 29, 2017). "Woman's effort to infiltrate The Washington Post dated back months". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 30, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f Boburg, Shawn; Davis, Aaron C.; Crites, Alice (November 27, 2017). "A woman approached The Post with dramatic — and false — tale about Roy Moore. She appears to be part of undercover sting operation". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on November 27, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
- ^ a b Haag, Matthew (November 27, 2017). "Woman Tried to Dupe Washington Post With False Claim About Roy Moore, Paper Says". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 5, 2019.
- ^ a b "Washington Post catches woman in apparent rightwing sting, paper reports". The Guardian. Associated Press. November 27, 2017. Archived from the original on November 28, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
- ^ Cummings, William (November 27, 2017). "'Washington Post' claims activist tried to embarrass paper with false Moore accusation". WUSA*9. Archived from the original on November 28, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
- ^ Kirby, Jen (November 27, 2017). "A conservative group tried to plant a fake Roy Moore allegation in the Washington Post. It failed". Vox. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019.
- ^ Dreher, Rod (November 27, 2017). "WaPo Badly Burns James O'Keefe". The American Conservative. Archived from the original on October 3, 2019.
- ^ McLaughlin, Dan (November 28, 2017). "James O'Keefe Shoots at The Washington Post and Misses". National Review. Archived from the original on February 17, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
- ^ Geraghty, Jim (November 28, 2017). "If You're Trying to Get a Paper to Print a Lie, Are You Really Serving Truth?". National Review. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017.
- ^ a b Stelter, Brian (November 28, 2017). "James O'Keefe on the defensive after failed anti-Post plot". CNNMoney. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019.
- ^ Friedersdorf, Conor (November 28, 2017). "The Bad Faith of James O'Keefe". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on October 3, 2019.
- ^ Rothman, Noah (November 28, 2017). "How James O'Keefe Exposed the Corruption in Conservative Activist Media". Commentary Magazine. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
- ^ Chait, Jonathan (November 27, 2017). "Conservative Tries to Prove Washington Post Is Fake News, Proves Opposite". Daily Intelligencer. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018.
- ^ Goldman, Adam; Mazzetti, Mark (May 13, 2021). "Activists and Ex-Spy Said to Have Plotted to Discredit Trump 'Enemies' in Government". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Project Veritas amplifies false vaccine information in latest video". First Draft. September 23, 2021. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ Tardáguila, Cristina. "5 videos "investigativos" suman 65 minutos de engaños sobre la pandemia y las vacunas". Univision (in Spanish). Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
- ^ Singleton, J (July 16, 1999). "An overview of the vaccine adverse event reporting system (VAERS) as a surveillance system". Vaccine. 17 (22): 2908–2917. doi:10.1016/S0264-410X(99)00132-2. PMID 10438063.
- ^ a b Schmidt, Michael S.; Rashbaum, William K.; Fondren, Precious; Goldman, Adam (November 5, 2021). "People Tied to Project Veritas Scrutinized in Theft of Diary From Biden's Daughter". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
- ^ a b Schmidt, Michael S.; Rashbaum, William K.; Goldman, Adam; Protess, Ben (November 6, 2021). "F.B.I. Searches James O'Keefe's Home in Ashley Biden Diary Theft Inquiry". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
- ^ Kasprak, Alex (March 28, 2023). "Did White House, FBI, or DOJ 'Confirm' Authenticity of Ashley Biden's Diary?". Snopes. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ Kasprak, Alex (April 5, 2024). "Fact Check: Posts Claim Contents of 'Ashley Biden's Diary' Have Been Verified. Here Are the Facts". Yahoo News. Snopes. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ "ACLU Comment on FBI Raid of Project Veritas Founder". American Civil Liberties Union. November 14, 2021. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ "Statements: CPJ concerned over FBI raid on home of Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe". Committee to Protect Journalists. November 15, 2021. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ Schmidt, Michael S. (December 9, 2021). "Judge Appoints Special Master to Review Material Seized From Project Veritas". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ Gerstein, Josh. "Project Veritas says feds secretly accessed its emails". Politico. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- ^ Schmidt, Michael; Goldman, Adam (March 22, 2022). "Project Veritas Says Justice Dept. Secretly Seized Its Emails". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- ^ Goldman, Adam; Schmidt, Michael S. (August 25, 2022). "Florida Pair Pleads Guilty in Theft of Biden's Daughter's Diary". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 11, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ Mayer, Jane (May 20, 2016). "Sting of Myself". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on May 22, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
- ^ Caldwell, Leigh Ann (October 21, 2016). "Trump Foundation paid filmmaker who claims Clinton paid to incite violence at Trump rally". CNBC. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
- ^ Caldwell, Leigh Ann (October 21, 2016). "Trump Foundation paid filmmaker who claims Clinton paid to incite violence at Trump rally". CNBC. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
- ^ Lee, Michelle Ye Hee (October 21, 2016). "Trump's claim tying violence at his rallies to the Clinton campaign". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 27, 2020.
Further, the Trump Foundation gave $10,000 to Project Veritas in 2015. Just as Trump is skeptical of Rodriguez's motives because of her previous payment from the Clinton campaign, readers should also be wary of Trump touting a Project Veritas video that matches his campaign rhetoric.
- ^ Smith, Allen (October 25, 2016). "Experts: Actions of Democratic operatives in latest undercover James O'Keefe video are likely not a violation of the law". Business Insider. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019.
- ^ [2][257][258][259]
- ^ Chiu, Lisa (May 25, 2011). "Videographer Who Took Aim at NPR Gets IRS Approval for New Charity". Chronicle of Philanthropy. Archived from the original on November 17, 2019.
- ^ "Project Veritas – Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. May 9, 2013. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
- ^ Mayer, Jane (May 20, 2016). "James O'Keefe Accidentally Stings Himself". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- ^ "Project Veritas Action Fund – Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. May 9, 2013. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
- ^ Covucci, David; Petrizzo, Zachary (November 11, 2020). "Why do so many of Project Veritas' right-wing 'whistleblowers' land GoFundMe paydays?". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ^ Denkinson, Katherine (January 28, 2022). "GiveSendGo: Christ, Cash, and Conspiracy Theories". Logically. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
- ^ Pershan, Caleb (January 11, 2022). "Project Veritas battles for journalism, and against it". Columbia Journalism Review. Archived from the original on October 30, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
External links
- Organizations established in 2010
- Political organizations based in the United States
- 2010 establishments in New York (state)
- Mamaroneck, New York
- Non-profit organizations based in New York (state)
- 501(c)(3) organizations
- Fake news websites
- Internet properties established in 2010
- Websites with far-right material
- Far-right organizations in the United States
- Media manipulation
- Journalism controversies
- Conspiracist media