Felony Charges Filed Against O'Keefe and Higby for Alleged Voting Deception
Men accused of identity theft and unlawful voting after attempting to use 'Muslim garb' in Minnesota primary.
Carla Rooney
James O’Keefe and Cam Higby face felony charges in Minneapolis for unlawful voting and identity theft.
The charges stem from attempts to disguise themselves in what they called “Muslim garb” and claim they were local voters during Minnesota's August primary. They allegedly entered multiple polling places, identified themselves using the names of registered Minnesota voters, and did so without signing affidavits or obtaining ballots.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced the felony charges. Moriarty stated the men did not actually vote and 'stopped short of signing the oath we all sign before receiving our ballot'.
Election judges in the precincts noted their “strange behavior” and participated in the investigation. O'Keefe and Higby allegedly gave false names to poll workers and wore costumes while attempting to use the 'vouching' process.
The Minnesota secretary of state's website indicates less than 0.6% of votes in 2024 used the vouching process. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon stated attempts to disrupt or deceive election workers will not be tolerated.
no laws were broken
O'Keefe and Higby claim they conducted the stunt to expose vulnerabilities in Minnesota's voting laws. The men recorded the exchanges for a video, aiming to expose what they say are vulnerabilities in the state's voting laws.
O'Keefe Media Group stated the team presented an "intentionally extreme scenario to expose what they see as the lunacy of the state's 'vouching' system." The team wanted to determine how election workers would respond, what safeguards they would describe, and how far they would allow the vouching process to proceed.
Not every election worker reacted the same way. While several workers explained how the undercover team could proceed under the vouching rules, others became suspicious of the group and took issue with the investigation.
Cam Higby claimed "no laws were broken" and called the charges "lawfare." Mary Moriarty affirmed that 'Free and fair elections are the bedrock of democracy, and their protection is one of our highest priorities.'