Conservative activists James O'Keefe and Cam Higby face felony charges of unlawful voting and identity theft in Minnesota, following an incident during the state's Aug. 11 primary election. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced Wednesday that the men allegedly provided false names to poll workers while attempting to use Minnesota's "vouching" process for a video intended to highlight perceived vulnerabilities in election laws.
Moriarty stated that O'Keefe, 42, of West Palm Beach, Florida, and Higby, 26, of Covington, Washington, wore costumes and used the names of registered voters without their knowledge or permission. The "vouching" process allows unregistered voters to register and vote if another registered voter in the same precinct signs an oath attesting to their identity and residency. The person being vouched for must also take an oath and provide identification details.
According to prosecutors, poll workers became suspicious of the men's behavior and reported them. While O'Keefe and Higby did not complete the oath required for vouching, Moriarty indicated that providing false names and initiating the process was sufficient grounds for the felony charges. The men have not yet had an opportunity to enter a plea, and neither had an attorney listed in court records.
O'Keefe, the founder of Project Veritas, is known for producing undercover sting-style videos. In the video posted to O'Keefe Media Group's website, O'Keefe, Higby, and others in costume were shown questioning poll workers about the vouching system. The statement accompanying the video said the team aimed to expose what they consider "the lunacy of the state’s 'vouching' system" by presenting "an intentionally extreme scenario."
The statement also noted that responses from election workers varied, with some explaining the process and others becoming suspicious and reporting concerns. The Minnesota Secretary of State's office indicates that the "vouching" process is rarely used, accounting for less than 0.6% of votes cast in the November 2024 election. Experts, such as David Becker of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, have noted that impersonating a voter is a serious crime, though he was unaware of widespread fraud linked to the vouching method.