OMM Newsroom
Two conservative activists have been charged with unlawful voting and identity theft after filming an undercover stunt at a polling place in Minnesota, prosecutors said, according to the BBC.
James O’Keefe and Cam Higby are accused of trying to undermine confidence in the state’s voting system by sharing a video showing them wearing Islamic attire and using fake accents while speaking to poll workers. Prosecutors allege they gave election judges the names of registered voters in the precinct without those voters’ knowledge or permission.
Higby, a 26-year-old political commentator, told the BBC he wanted to “expose vulnerabilities” in the voting system and accused the state of seeking to take away his right to vote. “I never voted, I never signed an affidavit, and I never violated a law,” he said. He added that the investigation was conducted to expose weaknesses in Minnesota’s system, which he said affects all Americans.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office confirmed that neither man signed the required oath to confirm his address. Prosecutors said both had “intentionally” misrepresented their identities when applying for ballots. Unlawful voting and identity theft are felony charges.
The recorded incident took place in August. The activists were seeking to highlight a Minnesota law that allows registered voters to vouch for the identity and address of up to eight people. The law is intended to help people who have recently moved to the state vote, not to impersonate other registered voters. Higby captioned the video: “I dressed as a Muslim woman and Minneapolis poll workers were prepared to allow me and an army of other foreigners to fraudulently vote without verifying who any of us are.”
State law prohibits anyone from intentionally misrepresenting their identity when applying for a ballot, depositing one in a ballot box or attempting to vote using a voting machine or electronic voting system. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, the state’s chief election officer, said on Wednesday that “any attempt to disrupt or deceive our election workers will not be tolerated”. He added: “Polling places are the heart of our democracy and should be places of safety and peace.”
It was not immediately clear when O’Keefe and Higby are due in court. The BBC said it had contacted O’Keefe for comment. O’Keefe, 42, founded “Project Veritas”, a far-right activist group and media company that investigates and seeks to expose corruption, and which is known for secretly recorded encounters. After leaving the group, he founded “O’Keefe Media Group”.
