Thursday 29 October 2026
Minnesota charges James O'Keefe and Cam Higby with felony unlawful voting and identity theft after a polling place stunt
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty charged conservative activist James O'Keefe, 42, and influencer Cam Higby, 26, on Wednesday with felony unlawful voting and identity theft. Prosecutors say the two men gave election judges the names of registered voters, some of them dead, at Minneapolis polling places during the August 11 primary and filmed themselves doing it. Neither man signed the oath the process requires, and neither voted.
The criminal complaint says O'Keefe and Higby visited several precincts in Minneapolis during the August primary and misrepresented their identities by giving election judges the names of registered voters, without those voters' knowledge or permission. Some of the voters whose names they used were dead.
The pair were testing Minnesota vouching system. A registered voter in a precinct can confirm the residency of up to eight other people, which lets those people register and vote on the same day. Moriarty said vouching accounted for 0.6 percent of votes in the 2024 general election and is used mostly by older people who have moved into assisted living and have not updated their licenses.
O'Keefe and Higby posted the videos to social media, and the clips passed 10 million views on X. In one clip O'Keefe wore traditional Arab dress and used an accent while asking about vouching to register other Muslims. Higby wore a full face covering and presented himself as a Muslim woman at other sites in Minneapolis. Neither man signed the oaths the vouching process requires, and neither cast a vote.
Moriarty said that does not end the matter. “You cannot begin to apply for a ballot and misrepresent yourself,” she told reporters. Minnesota law bars a person from intentionally misrepresenting his identity in applying for a ballot. “Elections are the bedrock of democracy and their protection is one of our highest priorities,” she said. “Individuals engaging in unlawful conduct related to our elections will be held accountable.” She said the pair posted the videos in an attempt to cast doubt on the state voting system.
O'Keefe Media Group and Higby did not respond to requests for comment. They have described their past work of this kind as an attempt to expose the potential for fraud. O'Keefe founded Project Veritas, the conservative group known for hidden camera videos, and the group board removed him in 2023 after finding he had spent donor money on personal luxuries.
The charges landed six days before the November 3 midterm elections.
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