Two influencers face felony charges for using eight voter names in Minnesota primary
Hennepin County prosecutors allege James O’Keefe and Cam Higby committed identity theft by vouching for deceased and registered voters on Aug. 11.
By Noor Phillips ·
Minnesota election officials filed criminal charges against two influencers who manipulated the state’s voter vouching process during the Aug. 11 primary. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced on Wednesday that James O’Keefe and Cam Higby now face felony counts of unlawful voting and identity theft.
Prosecutors say the pair entered polling places and applied for ballots using the names of registered voters without their knowledge or permission. They relied on a legal provision that allows a resident to vouch for up to eight other voters in the same precinct. Moriarty noted that police interviewed the specific registered voters whose names were used and found that the men also utilized the names of deceased individuals. She stated her office does not yet know how the pair obtained those names.
Moriarty emphasized that while the men did not sign the final oath required to receive a physical ballot, Minnesota law prohibits intentionally misrepresenting one’s identity when applying for that ballot. “Both men stopped short of signing the oath we all sign before receiving our ballot,” she said. “But Minnesota law states clearly that no individual shall intentionally misrepresent their identity in applying for a ballot.”
The incident gained public attention in August when O’Keefe and Higby posted hidden-camera videos to social media. O’Keefe described the duo as dressing in “Muslim garb,” including a full-face veil, with the goal of exposing what he called the “sheer lunacy” of the vouching system. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon’s office alerted prosecutors to the conduct after the videos circulated. Simon previously issued a statement describing the pair’s actions as an attempt to cast doubt on election laws that have been in force for over fifty years.
“The misconduct by this group is outrageous and totally unacceptable,” Simon said. “We have zero tolerance for lying, lawbreaking, and disruptions at our polling places.”
O’Keefe and Higby are not currently in custody. They will receive a summons to appear in Minnesota court. Neither man immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the new charges.
The case adds to a series of voter integrity disputes involving O’Keefe, who was removed as head of Project Veritas in 2023. Higby previously worked as a journalist and now maintains a YouTube channel with 285,000 subscribers. The legal action arrives as the Trump administration continues to pursue state voter roll data in an effort to identify alleged noncitizen voters.
