Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe looks on during the Conservative Political Action Conference CPAC held at the Hilton Anatole on July 09, 2021 in Dallas, Texas. CPAC began in 1974, and is a conference that brings together and hosts conservative organizations, activists, and world leaders in discussing current events and future political agendas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
OAN Geraldyn Berry
1:40 PM PT – Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Founder of Project Veritas James O’Keefe announced his resignation on Monday.
The founder released a video made in a Project Veritas office, revealing that the board had stripped him of his position and all decision-making power within the organization.
Since it’s already out there, here are my heartfelt remarks to my staff this morning.
I need to make clear I have not resigned from the company, Project Veritas, I founded 13 years ago. I was stripped of my position as CEO and Chairman.
I came to the PV pic.twitter.com/NwHivwR1EM… https://t.co/X1lKCnwuif
— James O’Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) February 21, 2023
“I have been stripped of my authority as CEO and removed from the board of directors,” O’Keefe said. “Currently, I have no job at Project Veritas. I have no position here based upon what the board has done.”
The announcement follows a statement released last week by Chief Strategy Officer Barry Hinckley and Chief Financial Officer Tom O’Hara.
“A number of our staff members provided leadership with some verbal feedback,” the statement read. “describing real management concerns regarding the treatment of people and our internal processes.”
Some of the complaints from the board members included a “$14,000 on a charter aircraft to see someone to fix his yacht under the premise of meeting with a contributor,” “$60,000 in losses from dancing events,” “more than $150,000 “in Black Cars in the last 18 months,” and other expenses.
“I don’t know how I can do my job here if I can’t transport myself around the United States,” O’Keefe said, adding that board members suggested he utilize Zoom to lower travel expenses. “Zoom meetings over in-person meetings is not how you raise money, and not how you conduct your journalism,” O’Keefe said.
According to O’Keefe, he was accused of diverting funds from Project Veritas to put a down payment on his wedding. “I laughed when I read this. I am not wed.” He asserted that the expenses in question were actually for a Project Veritas Christmas party because “I’ve never been married.”
So according to the Project Veritas board, James O’Keefe spending money on flights, company events, and black cars was enough to force him out and destroy your entire company? pic.twitter.com/Sv88IrMJvi
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) February 21, 2023
In their statement, board members said they did not fire O’Keefe and did not ask him to resign. The statement claimed O’Keefe has recently been suspended. He was also asked to meet with the board to talk about funds, employee retention, and morale, but he refused and “today, decided to take his possessions from Project Veritas offices.”
The company is known for its undercover investigations to try to uncover unethical practices by companies in awkward encounters, and expose alleged liberal bias.
Project Veritas, led by O’Keefe, had recently uncovered some shocking facts behind the Pfizer vaccine, which prompted legislators to demand answers from the pharmaceutical company.
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