James O'Keefe Charged in Minnesota Voter Sting
The Facts
- Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty on Wednesday charged James O'Keefe, 42, and Cam Higby, 26, with felony counts of unlawful voting and identity theft tied to Minnesota's Aug. 11 primary. An initial court appearance is set for Nov. 16.
- The pair used hidden cameras at multiple Minneapolis precincts while wearing what O'Keefe called Muslim garb, including a burka, and later posted the footage online, saying they aimed to show vulnerabilities in the state's vouching practice.
- Moriarty said neither man signed the voter oath or received a ballot, but Minnesota law bars intentionally misrepresenting one's identity when applying for one. The complaints say they used the names of four registered voters without permission.
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The Spin
Prosecution narrative
Handing an election judge somebody else's name at a polling place is fraud, no matter how many cameras are rolling. Real journalism never requires hijacking a registered voter's identity or deceiving the election judges who keep Minnesota's primaries honest. Accountability here protects every voter whose name could be swiped for clicks.
Defense narrative
Felony charges against reporters who never cast a ballot and never signed the oath reek of panic in Hennepin County. A vouching policy letting one person without an ID swear in eight strangers on an honor system deserves scrutiny, and filming that absurdity falls squarely under the First Amendment. The timing of this, days before the midterm, suggests an effort to chill independent reporting.
