In a tearful farewell address, James O’Keefe announced that he has been removed from Project Veritas, the undercover journalism operation he founded.
O’Keefe was placed on administrative leave by the Project Veritas board earlier this month after he reportedly fired a board member due to a significant conflict of visions.
In a 44 minute video filmed at Project Veritas headquarters and posted Monday on social media, O’Keefe explained that the “conflict’ stemmed from “tactical disagreements about the boldness of approaches for soliciting donations.”
“We measure in terms of what we produce, not just in terms of our wallets,” O’Keefe said, adding that the conflict had “boiled over” and led to O’Keefe firing the board member.
Later that day, while he was on-board a flight to Nashville, O’Keefe said that another Project Veritas board member called for an “emergency vote to restructure this company.”
O’Keefe said that’s when he realized that “I would be removed from my position at Project Veritas by the time I landed at my destination.”
BREAKING VIDEO: James O'Keefe addresses Project Veritas staff as he exits from the organization he founded following a high-profile board dispute. "Our mission continues on. I'm not done. The mission will perhaps take on a new name…" pic.twitter.com/0fZov5AXa3
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) February 20, 2023
During his remarks, O’Keefe displayed a text message from a Veritas board member telling a Veritas journalist that he would get a pay raise if the company was “restructured.”
“The board member deleted the message, but not before our journalist took screen shots,” O’Keefe said.
James O'Keefe shows a text message from a Veritas board member to one of their journalists bragging about getting a raise if O'Keefe is forced out. pic.twitter.com/kI38NwtF97
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) February 20, 2023
O’Keefe also defended himself against a board member’s allegation that he had used corporate funds for a wedding, saying the funds were appropriately used for a company Christmas party.
James O'Keefe says that a Project Veritas officer lied to the board about him using corporate funds for a "wedding" despite the fact that he's never been married and that it was used for the company Christmas party. pic.twitter.com/ujiJvDMC0M
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) February 20, 2023
The muckraker got emotional as he recalled the fateful day the Veritas board turned against him.
“When I left the office on February 6 after being stripped of all my authority, I saw my father and I gave him a hug realizing just how honest and real of a man he is,” said O’Keefe. Both my parents are as genuine and as down to earth as a son could ever have,” he added, his voice breaking.
O’Keefe explained that 13 years ago, the feds would come to his home “to make sure that I was inside my house,” administer random drug tests and rifles through his expenses. This would have been after he was arrested for entering then-U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu’s New Orleans office with two colleagues under false pretenses. O’Keefe was investigating complaints that constituents calling the Democrat’s office couldn’t get through to criticize her support for ObamaCare. At the time, O’Keefe was massively in debt, as he had not yet launched his fundraising operation.
“I didn’t have any money, but they went through my debit card statements and tried to get me to sign things to prove I wasn’t lying,” O’Keefe said. “There were federal agents showing up at my parents’ house. There were no donors. There were no supporters and I was not trending on Twitter. Mt father went through that hell with me and stood up to those bullies on the front lawn and told them to stop harassing our family,” he continued.
“And at that point, that’s all I had—was him,” O’Keefe said, wiping away a tear. “I was otherwise completely alone. I will never forget that.”
O’Keefe said the “good news” is “we’re no longer alone.”
James O’Keefe breaks down in final speech to his team #fuckprojectveritas #projectveritas #jamesokeefe pic.twitter.com/Al8mv8BlU5
— Random fella (@random___fella) February 20, 2023
“Our mission continues on. I’m not done,” O’Keefe said in conclusion. “The mission will perhaps take on a new name and it may be no longer called [Project] Veritas. I will need a bunch of people around me. And I’ll make sure you know how to find me.”
The entire address can be viewed below:
????BREAKING: James O'Keefe's Remarks to Project Veritas Staff: "I've been removed from CEO and Board"
WATCH James' FULL COMMENTS here: pic.twitter.com/9LK4jLEPRw
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 20, 2023
Since O’Keefe’s announcement, Project Veritas appears to be bleeding Twitter followers:
This has got to be one of the biggest unforced errors in corporate history.#ProjectVeritas #JamesOKeefe https://t.co/043hcwSban
— Carpe Donktum???? (@CarpeDonktum) February 20, 2023