Minnesota Election Law: Felonies Filed for O'Keefe and Higby

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty filed felony charges on Wednesday against James O'Keefe and Cam Higby for unlawful voting and identity theft. The charges stem from visits the two men made to Minneapolis polling places on August 11, 2024, during the state primary. Moriarty accused the pair of intentionally misrepresenting their identities when applying for ballots.

The incident began in August 2024 when O'Keefe and Higby disguised themselves and used hidden cameras to film their activities at polling locations. O'Keefe posted the footage on X, describing their attire as "Muslim garb," including a full-face veil. He stated their aim was to expose what he called the "sheer lunacy" of Minnesota's vouching system. The state's vouching process allows a registered voter in a precinct to vouch for up to eight other voters on Election Day.

According to Moriarty, the men gave the names of registered voters in those precincts without permission. Police later interviewed the named individuals and confirmed they did not know their names were being used. Moriarty noted that the names of deceased voters were also included in the process. She stated, "Both men stopped short of signing the oath we all sign before receiving our ballot. But Minnesota law states clearly that no individual shall intentionally misrepresent their identity in applying for a ballot."

Secretary of State Steve Simon's office alerted Moriarty to the conduct. Simon said in a statement that the men's apparent goal was to cast doubt on election laws that have been in force for over fifty years. He argued they revealed their ignorance of how those laws work while exposing themselves to legal trouble. Simon added, "We have zero tolerance for lying, lawbreaking, and disruptions at our polling places."

Moriarty said the two men are not in jail and will receive a summons to appear in court in Minnesota. She did not specify how the men obtained the specific voter names used in the precincts. Neither O'Keefe nor Higby responded immediately to requests for comment regarding the new charges.

O'Keefe founded Project Veritas and was removed as its head in 2023. In 2024, he and the group settled a lawsuit brought by a Pennsylvania postmaster over claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Higby formerly worked as a journalist for conservative outlets and now operates a YouTube channel with 285,000 subscribers.