Two activists charged with felonies for using fake names at Minnesota polls

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced felony charges Wednesday against conservative activists James O’Keefe and Cam Higby. The two men face counts of unlawful voting and identity theft after using the names of registered voters at Minneapolis polling places during the August 11 primary.

Moriarty stated that O’Keefe, 42, of West Palm Beach, Florida, and Higby, 26, of Covington, Washington, wore costumes and provided false names to poll workers. They initiated the state’s vouching process, which allows a voter without current proof of address to register and vote if another registered resident in that precinct verifies their identity.

The pair recorded their interactions for a video released on August 13. In the footage, Higby’s face was covered, and O’Keefe referred to him as his wife. They used fake accents and described themselves as being dressed in attire similar to that worn by some Muslims. Poll workers reported the unusual behavior to election officials, who then asked police to investigate.

O’Keefe, who founded Project Veritas before leaving its leadership, defended the actions in a statement and video released Wednesday evening. He said the men acted as investigative journalists and never intended to complete the voucher process. “In our report, we clearly stopped and walked out of the polling places to avoid even touching a voting ballot,” O’Keefe wrote.

Moriarty argued that giving false names and starting the process was sufficient for felony charges, even though the men did not sign the required oath. “Free and fair elections are the bedrock of democracy, and their protection is one of our highest priorities,” she said.

The vouching system is rarely used, with fewer than 0.6% of votes in the November 2024 election relying on it, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office. The process is most common among older adults who have not updated their driver’s license address because they no longer drive. Higby has not responded to requests for comment and does not have an attorney listed in court records.

David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, noted that he was not aware of widespread fraud resulting from vouching. However, he emphasized that impersonating another voter is a serious crime. Neither O’Keefe nor Higby has entered a plea yet.