Far Right Influencer James O’Keefe Charged With Voter Fraud in Minnesota

Right-wing provocateur James O’Keefe is facing charges in Minnesota relating to his attempts to illegally register to vote as part of an online stunt that attempted but failed to expose flaws in the state’s registration process.

There are numerous methods of registering to vote in Minnesota. One process, called “vouching,” is used by people who don’t yet have proof of residence in the state. The person seeking to register to vote can get an individual who knows them to vouch for them by signing a document affirming that they live at the address listed.

The process doesn’t end there — the person who is attempting to register has to provide other forms of identity, including their driver’s license number or part of their Social Security number.

Vouching is considered a secure method of confirming a potential voter’s place of residence. It’s also rare, with the process being used in only about 0.6 percent of all registration applications.

O’Keefe and right-wing influencer Cam Higby published a video on social media showing themselves attempting to register to vote in Minnesota through the vouching system, despite not being residents of the state. The two men went through most of the process, including applying for ballots, but didn’t complete their registrations and didn’t end up voting.

The video contains multiple edits, which O’Keefe frequently uses in his videos to omit key information about the subjects of his so-called exposés, manipulating viewers into agreeing with his positions.

O’Keefe presented himself as a real-life Minnesota resident named William Pomeranz to poll workers, but refused to provide identification when asked. The two men were asked to leave the polling place when they failed to comply.

Although they didn’t technically cast a ballot, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty alleges that O’Keefe and Higby still broke the law, and filed charges against them this week.

“Both men stopped short of signing the oath we all sign before receiving our ballot,” Moriarty acknowledged. “But Minnesota law states clearly that no individual shall intentionally misrepresent their identity in applying for a ballot.”

O’Keefe and Higby face unlawful voting and identity theft charges, Moriarty’s office indicated.

Beyond potentially breaking voter registration laws in the state, the two men engaged in racist behavior while filming their video, donning what they called “Muslim garb” and imitating Arab accents while claiming they were Minnesota residents.

Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon disparaged the two men for attempting to engage in election fraud.

“The misconduct by this group is outrageous and totally unacceptable. We have zero tolerance for lying, lawbreaking, and disruptions at our polling places,” Simon said in a statement on O’Keefe’s video.

In a December interview with Minnesota Public Radio, Simon defended the practice of vouching in voter registration. Those opposed to the practice “hear the term and they jump to all sorts of conclusions” that are errant, Simon explained.

“To register to vote in Minnesota, you need to show two things: You are who you say you are — that’s identity. And you live where you say you live — that’s residence,” Simon said in the interview. “What you use a vouching for is really the residence part. That’s where it’s used most commonly.”