Minnesota Election: Felony Charges Filed Against O'Keefe and Higby

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced felony charges on Wednesday against James O'Keefe and Cam Higby. The prosecution alleges the men committed unlawful voting and identity theft during visits to polling places in the state's August primary.

Moriarty stated that the two men entered polling places on Aug. 11 and provided the names of registered voters in those precincts. She noted that the voters had not granted permission and were unaware their names were being used. The pair utilized a Minnesota process known as vouching, which permits a registered voter in the same precinct to vouch for up to eight other voters. Staff at residential facilities may also vouch for their residents. Moriarty observed that the men did not sign the standard oath required before receiving a ballot, but argued that Minnesota law prohibits intentionally misrepresenting one's identity when applying for a ballot.

O'Keefe and Higby disguised themselves and recorded their visits with hidden cameras. They posted the footage on social media in August. In a post on X, O'Keefe described the attire as "Muslim garb," including a full-face veil called a niqab in one instance. He stated their aim was to "expose the sheer lunacy of Minnesota's 'vouching' system." Minnesota Secretary of State Steve 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. Simon argued that the men revealed their ignorance of how those laws function while exposing themselves to legal trouble. He added that the office has zero tolerance for lying, lawbreaking, and disruptions at polling places.

Simon's office alerted Moriarty to the conduct. Police later interviewed the registered voters whose names were used. Moriarty confirmed that the names of deceased voters were also included. She said the office does not know how the men obtained the names. The two men are not in jail and will receive a summons to appear in court in Minnesota. Neither O'Keefe nor Higby responded immediately to requests for comment.

O'Keefe has previously faced voter fraud controversies. In 2024, he and Project Veritas, the group he founded, settled a lawsuit brought by a Pennsylvania postmaster. The group had promoted a postal worker's false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. O'Keefe was removed as head of Project Veritas in 2023. Higby formerly worked as a journalist for conservative outlets and now runs a YouTube account with 285,000 subscribers.

The case arrives as President Donald Trump has alleged for years that Democrats have committed voter fraud or rigged elections against him. His administration has targeted Democratic-controlled states by seeking their voter roll lists and trying to identify alleged noncitizen voters.