The Radical Reading Room

Hennepin County Attorney’s Office in Minnesota announced on October 28, 2026, that James O’Keefe and Cam Higby were charged with two felony counts: unlawful voting and identity theft. The charges stem from a video recorded in August, in which the pair posed as registered voters at a polling site, using fake accents and Islamic attire to interact with election officials. Prosecutors allege they provided election judges with names of registered voters without consent. O’Keefe, founder of Project Veritas, has a history of controversial stunts, including a 2010 incident where he impersonated a service technician to access a political figure’s phone lines.

The incident targeted Minnesota’s voter vouching law, which allows registered voters to confirm each other’s identities at polling sites. Prosecutors assert that both men intentionally misrepresented their identities when applying for ballots, despite not signing an oath. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office confirmed neither individual signed the required affidavit.

Cam Higby, a political commentator, told the BBC he aimed to expose alleged vulnerabilities in the voting system and claimed the state is attempting to revoke his voting rights. He stated, 'I never voted, I never signed an affidavit, and I never violated a law.'

This case reflects a broader pattern of right-wing actors using fabricated stunts to challenge voting systems, often in areas with historically low Republican support.