Project Veritas
Project Veritas is an American activist organization known for undercover recordings and selectively edited videos targeting media organizations, progressive groups, unions, and Democratic political institutions.
Last updated October 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Project Veritas is an American activist organization founded by James O'Keefe in 2010. It became known for undercover operations that used concealed cameras, assumed identities, and staged or misleading interactions to produce videos intended to discredit mainstream news organizations, progressive advocacy groups, labor organizations, and Democratic political campaigns. Although it described its work as investigative journalism, journalists, courts, public officials, and media-fact-checking organizations repeatedly criticized its methods, particularly the selective editing of recordings and the use of entrapment-like techniques. The organization developed from undercover work conducted by O'Keefe and associates before its formal creation. Its 2009 videos involving the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, became its first major national controversy. Hannah Giles posed as a sex worker while O'Keefe posed as her partner, and the pair recorded ACORN employees in several cities. The published material appeared to show employees advising them on illegal conduct, but later reviews, unedited recordings, official investigations, and court proceedings found that the videos omitted important context and distorted the encounters. ACORN lost public and government funding and dissolved in 2010. An ACORN employee, Juan Carlos Vera, later received settlements totaling $150,000 from O'Keefe and Giles; O'Keefe also expressed regret for the harm caused by the publication. Project Veritas subsequently targeted Planned Parenthood, National Public Radio, CNN, the New Jersey Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, and The Washington Post, among others. Its 2011 Planned Parenthood videos portrayed employees discussing fetal tissue transactions, while critics argued that the recordings were heavily edited and lacked the context of the full interactions. In 2013, a deceptively edited recording of an NPR executive contributed to the resignation of NPR chief executive Vivian Schiller. During the 2016 election campaign, Project Veritas made unsupported or misleading claims about campaign-finance practices associated with Hillary Clinton's campaign and the Democratic Party. In 2017, operatives attempted to persuade The Washington Post to publish a fabricated account concerning Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore and sexual-misconduct allegations. The newspaper investigated the source, identified the operation, and published an account of the attempted deception. The Post later received a Pulitzer Prize for its reporting on the Moore allegations and the attempted manipulation. In another legal dispute, Democracy Partners obtained a $120,000 jury award against Project Veritas in 2022 for fraudulent misrepresentation connected with an undercover operation. The organization's activities were supported by conservative donors and nonprofit funding networks. Reference material identifies DonorsTrust as providing more than $6.6 million between 2011 and 2019, while other supporters included the Donald J. Trump Foundation. A 2020 New York Times investigation reported that Project Veritas used operatives recruited with assistance from Erik Prince to infiltrate Democratic congressional campaigns, labor organizations, and other groups viewed as opposed to the Trump agenda. The investigation drew partly on discovery materials from litigation involving the American Federation of Teachers in Michigan. Project Veritas also experienced platform, registration, financial, and governance disputes. Twitter permanently suspended the organization's account in 2021 for repeated violations of its private-information policy and later suspended O'Keefe's personal account for platform-manipulation and spam violations; the organizational account was restored after Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter in 2022. In 2021, the group's headquarters was destroyed by Hurricane Ida, and the organization reported losing $165,000 in a business-email-compromise scam. The board removed O'Keefe from leadership in February 2023, citing alleged financial misconduct and management problems. Project Veritas later sued O'Keefe, alleging improper use of company resources and efforts to establish a competing organization. Hannah Giles, who succeeded him as chief executive, resigned in December 2023 after describing the organization as burdened by serious historical legal and financial problems. Project Veritas suspended operations in September 2023 after laying off most of its employees. Its current operating status is therefore unclear.
History
Project Veritas emerged from James O'Keefe's pre-2010 undercover video work and was formally founded in June 2010. Its operating model combined concealed recording, false identities, staged encounters, and rapid online publication. The organization frequently presented its work as investigative journalism, while critics argued that it functioned primarily as a political advocacy operation because targets and story framing were selected to advance conservative narratives. The earliest major controversy associated with the organization's network involved Planned Parenthood. In 2006 and 2007, O'Keefe and Lila Rose recorded encounters in California clinics while Rose posed as a pregnant minor. The resulting videos omitted portions of the conversations in which staff members discussed legal requirements and parental involvement. Planned Parenthood threatened legal action, and the videos were withdrawn, but similar undercover activity continued. In 2009, O'Keefe and Hannah Giles targeted ACORN offices in several cities. Giles posed as a prostitute and O'Keefe as her boyfriend. Edited recordings were released with a sensational visual presentation that suggested the pair had entered the offices in costumes, although the encounters themselves took place while O'Keefe wore conventional clothing. The videos generated congressional and administrative action, including the freezing of federal funds and termination of government relationships. Subsequent investigations found no broad criminal wrongdoing by ACORN, and the organization dissolved after losing public and private support. ACORN employee Juan Carlos Vera sued after being portrayed as willing to assist an illegal trafficking scheme. Giles paid $50,000 in a settlement, and O'Keefe later paid Vera $100,000 and expressed regret. After its formal establishment, Project Veritas expanded its targets to include media companies, abortion-rights organizations, unions, political campaigns, and advocacy groups. A 2011 series concerning Planned Parenthood was used to allege improper conduct involving fetal tissue. A 2013 video involving NPR executive Ron Schiller was edited to emphasize controversial remarks about the Tea Party and federal funding; NPR chief executive Vivian Schiller resigned after the release. Project Veritas also published videos concerning the New Jersey teachers' union and other public-sector organizations. The organization became increasingly active in national electoral politics. During the 2016 presidential campaign it made claims that Hillary Clinton's campaign accepted unlawful foreign donations, claims that were not substantiated as presented. In 2017 it attempted to plant a false story at The Washington Post by using a woman who claimed to possess damaging information about Roy Moore. The Post investigated the proposed story and concluded that the operation was designed to deceive the newspaper. This episode became a prominent example of the limits of Project Veritas's undercover model: the attempted manipulation, rather than the purported allegation, became the news story. Project Veritas's methods were described in reporting as involving military and intelligence contractors, internal operatives, and legal review intended to test the boundaries of recording and undercover laws. Critics maintained that selective editing and target manipulation undermined the reliability of the output. In 2020, The New York Times reported that operatives connected to Project Veritas had infiltrated Democratic campaigns, labor organizations, and other groups, including activity linked to Erik Prince. The reporting relied in part on litigation discovery from the American Federation of Teachers in Michigan. The group also faced legal and administrative constraints. O'Keefe was barred from fundraising for Project Veritas in several states because of disclosure issues involving his criminal record and nonprofit registrations. In 2021, Twitter suspended the organization's account and later suspended O'Keefe's personal account. The organization's headquarters was destroyed by Hurricane Ida in September 2021, followed by a reported $165,000 loss in an email-fraud incident. A major institutional crisis occurred in 2023. Project Veritas's board removed O'Keefe in February, citing alleged misuse of donor funds and poor treatment of staff. Reported allegations included spending on private transportation and other personal or questionable expenses. O'Keefe denied wrongdoing and later established O'Keefe Media Group. Project Veritas sued him, alleging that he and associates had used organizational resources while preparing a competing venture. The organization also settled employee claims involving wage underpayment and a former employee's sexual-harassment allegations. Hannah Giles became chief executive in June 2023 but resigned in December. Project Veritas suspended operations in September after substantial layoffs. Because the organization has not clearly documented a return to normal operations in the supplied material, its present status remains unknown.
- 2023
Founder removed and operations suspended
[1]The board removed O'Keefe, the organization later laid off most employees, and operations were suspended.
- 2021
Twitter suspension and headquarters loss
[1]Twitter suspended the organization's account, while Hurricane Ida destroyed its Mamaroneck headquarters later that year.
- 2017
Washington Post deception attempt
[1]Project Veritas operatives attempted to induce The Washington Post to publish a fabricated account concerning Roy Moore.
- 2013
NPR video controversy
[1]A selectively edited recording of an NPR executive was released, followed by the resignation of NPR chief executive Vivian Schiller.
- 2010
Project Veritas founded
[1]Project Veritas was formally established in June by James O'Keefe.
- 2009
ACORN video operation
[1]O'Keefe and Hannah Giles released edited recordings targeting ACORN, triggering major political and funding consequences for the organization.
- 2006
Early Planned Parenthood undercover recordings
[1]James O'Keefe and Lila Rose began producing secretly recorded videos involving Planned Parenthood clinics.
Products and positioning
A conservative activist and investigative-media organization presenting undercover operations as exposure of alleged misconduct, corruption, or ideological bias. Its public identity is strongly associated with adversarial campaigns against mainstream media, progressive nonprofits, labor organizations, and Democratic political institutions.
Activist media · 2010
Undercover video investigations
Project Veritas's principal output was a series of undercover recordings and edited video packages. Operatives commonly concealed their affiliations, recorded subjects without their knowledge, and framed the resulting footage as evidence of hypocrisy, corruption, or unlawful conduct. The format was designed for rapid online distribution and political amplification, but its evidentiary value was frequently disputed because of selective editing and staged interactions.
Political advocacy · 2010
Project Veritas investigative reports
The organization also published written reports, allegations, and campaign materials accompanying its videos. These reports focused on mainstream media, progressive nonprofits, labor unions, abortion-rights organizations, and Democratic political institutions. They served both as explanations of the undercover work and as advocacy material for a conservative audience.
Controversies
2023
O'Keefe removed amid financial and management allegations
The board removed founder James O'Keefe after alleging misuse of donor funds, questionable personal expenses, and abusive or dysfunctional management practices.
2023
Employee litigation and organizational collapse
Project Veritas settled claims involving wage underpayment and a former employee's sexual-harassment allegations. It subsequently laid off most employees and suspended operations.
2022
Democracy Partners fraud verdict
A jury awarded Democracy Partners $120,000 in a case alleging fraudulent misrepresentation related to Project Veritas's undercover activities.
2021
Twitter faces backlash over Project Veritas account suspensions
In April 2021, Twitter permanently suspended the account of Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe and banned the Project Veritas account. The action drew criticism, and the event was reported as a controversy over the suspensions. According to the source, critics accused Twitter of protecting CNN; this accusation is presented as a reported allegation and reaction, not as an established finding. The source does not specify further details of the suspensions or any response from Twitter.
2021
Judge orders The New York Times to return Project Veritas legal documents
A Westchester Supreme Court judge ruled that The New York Times must turn over confidential legal memos it obtained and published about Project Veritas, finding that the newspaper violated founder James O’Keefe’s attorney-client privilege.
2017
Attempted manipulation of The Washington Post
Project Veritas operatives attempted to plant a fabricated story concerning Roy Moore. The newspaper identified the operation through source verification and investigative reporting.
2013
ACORN employee defamation settlement
Juan Carlos Vera sued after an edited video falsely suggested that he was willing to participate in illegal human trafficking. O'Keefe paid $100,000 and expressed regret; Hannah Giles paid a separate $50,000 settlement.
Marketing campaigns
- 2017Roy Moore and Washington Post operation
United States
An operative connected to Project Veritas approached The Washington Post with a fabricated account intended to undermine reporting about sexual-misconduct allegations against Roy Moore.
Outcome. The Post investigated the source and exposed the attempted deception instead of publishing the fabricated story.
- 2013NPR undercover video
United States
Project Veritas released an edited recording of NPR executive Ron Schiller making controversial comments about the Tea Party and federal funding.
Outcome. NPR chief executive Vivian Schiller resigned after the release. Critics said the video omitted context and was constructed to produce a misleading impression.
- 2011Planned Parenthood investigations
United States
Project Veritas released undercover videos alleging improper conduct by Planned Parenthood staff, including discussions involving fetal tissue. Critics disputed the editing and context of the recordings.
Outcome. The videos received substantial political attention, while Planned Parenthood and outside critics challenged their accuracy and presentation.
- 2009ACORN undercover campaign
United States
O'Keefe and Hannah Giles recorded ACORN employees while posing as clients seeking help with illegal activities. Edited videos were released across multiple cities and generated congressional scrutiny, funding restrictions, and extensive media coverage.
Outcome. Later investigations found no broad criminal wrongdoing by ACORN, but the organization lost funding and dissolved. Litigation by ACORN employee Juan Carlos Vera produced settlements totaling $150,000.
Brand decisions
2023
Removal of James O'KeefeOtherBackground
The board cited alleged financial malfeasance, personal expenses charged to organizational funds, and serious management concerns.
Action taken
O'Keefe was removed from leadership in February, and Hannah Giles was appointed chief executive in June.
Aftermath
Giles resigned in December, while Project Veritas suspended operations after extensive layoffs.
2010
Adoption of an undercover activist-media modelStrategyBackground
The organization sought to challenge mainstream media and progressive institutions through covertly recorded encounters rather than conventional open-source reporting.
Action taken
Project Veritas recruited operatives, used assumed identities and concealed recording, and distributed edited videos online.
Aftermath
The strategy generated significant political attention but also repeated criticism, lawsuits, platform sanctions, and disputes over journalistic accuracy.
Recent events
- 2023
Project Veritas suspends operations[1]
Bankruptcy · Leadership change
The organization suspended operations after laying off most of its employees.
- 2021
Project Veritas account suspended by Twitter[1]
Regulation · Other
Twitter permanently suspended Project Veritas's account for repeated violations of its policy concerning private information.
- 2021
Project Veritas reports $165,000 business-email-compromise loss[1]
Other
The organization said attackers impersonated an email participant during an invoice discussion and redirected a payment to a fraudulent account.
Sources4 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/project-veritas · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled