PROJECT PRISON?

MAGA Provocateur Jailed for Voting Fraud

The rightwing stuntman is at it again.

Conservative activist James O’Keefe and one other were arrested after dressing up in mock Islamic garb and attempting to cast votes at a Minnesota polling place.

O’Keefe, the Project Veritas founder who made a name for himself by deceptively editing videos of undercover sting operations, and his fellow rightwing influencer Cam Higby, were charged with felony counts of unlawful voting and identity theft, the Hennepin County attorney announced in a press conference on Wednesday.

“Elections are the bedrock of democracy, and their protection is one of our highest priorities,” said Mary Moriarty, the top attorney in the county that encompasses Minneapolis. “Individuals engaging in unlawful conduct related to our elections will be held accountable.”

Moriarty said O’Keefe, 42, and Higby, 26, wore disguises and filmed themselves entering polling places, falsely identifying themselves as four registered voters in Minneapolis. According to videos the pair shared online during the state’s August 11 primaries, the hoax aimed to draw attention to a Minnesota voter-voucher law.

“I dressed as a Muslim woman and Minneapolis poll workers were prepared to allow me an an army of other foreigners fraudulently vote without verifying who any of us are,” Higby wrote in an X post on Aug. 14.

During Wednesday’s press conference, Moriarty said both men stopped short of signing the oath before receiving their ballots. Still, she emphasized, Minnesota law makes it illegal to intentionally misrepresent one’s identity when applying for a ballot, calling the charges against the two men “appropriate.”

In several posts on X on Tuesday, Higby attempted to vilify the state’s leaders for pressing charges.

“LAWFARE: Minnesota has filed TWO FELONY CHARGES AGAINST ME related to my Burqa video in the state,” he wrote. “No laws were broken. They want me in PRISON for exposing election vulnerabilities in their state. Support me below if you can. Thank you all.”

Higby then shared a link to donate to his legal representation. As of publication, he has raised $1,500.

O’Keefe did not respond to request for comment.

The Project Veritas founder, for his part, has previously run into trouble for his stunts. He has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of entering federal property under false pretenses after trying to take video of two of his colleagues in Senator Mary Landrieu’s office. His colleagues were posing as telephone repairmen, what they say was an attempt to investigate complaints from health-care opponents that they could not get through. He was sentenced to three years probation, 100 hours of community service, and a $1,500 fine.

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Laura EspositoBreaking News Reporter

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