- Right-wing group Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe has been fired as CEO.
- On Monday, O’Keeffe spoke for 45 minutes, describing the seven-hour board meeting that preceded his ouster.
- He accused the board of ruining the organization’s reputation, “fabricating stories” and lying to donors.
Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe stripped of his role as CEOthe board of the far-right non-profit organization accused him of embezzling funds and other nefarious acts, including stealing a “pregnant woman’s sandwich.”
O’Keeffe told a group gathered at the Project Veritas office in Mamaroneck, N.Y. on Monday that the board had “really weird complaints” about the nearly seven-hour board meeting. video recording of speech Posted online.
O’Keefe was ordered to leave the conservative group earlier this month amid concerns over his management style and accusations of mismanaging the group’s funds.
Project Veritas is a far-right group that publishes selectively edited video clips of government and corporate officials, liberal groups, and the press. The employee works as an undercover operative. In September, a jury found Project Veritas guilty of fraudulently misrepresenting itself and violating the Federal Wiretap Act. In August, two men pleaded guilty Transporting stolen goods across state lines after attempting to sell a diary belonging to President Joe Biden’s daughter Ashley Biden to Project Veritas.
According to O’Keeffe’s account of the incident, an emergency Project Veritas board meeting was held on February 6, during which he apologized for “the tone of voice in the office at the leadership meeting last week.” either “refused to accept” his apology or “believed it to be sincere”.
O’Keeffe later said he “listened to six and a half hours of complaints, including bringing a black car to meetings” and “had several charter jets over the years.”
Regarding the board’s alleged complaint that he used a black car, O’Keeffe said, “I don’t know the importance of car color.
He also claimed the board made “really bizarre claims that I stole a pregnant woman’s sandwich in federal court,” but didn’t give further details.
O’Keefe did not respond to Insider’s request for comment.
O’Keeffe then said he was accused by the board of directors of using company funds to pay a $12,000 down payment for a wedding venue. O’Keeffe says he’s never been married or had a wedding, but he did book a wedding venue for his party on Project Veritas Holidays.
“I have never been married. I would love to get married someday,” he added.
During his 45-minute speech, O’Keeffe sipped and sniffed a bottle of essentia water, referring in several ways to the early days of Project Veritas. suburb of New Jersey.
O’Keefe said he went to the Project Veritas office on Monday to collect his personal belongings and said he had only “paintings and diplomas” in the office.
He ended his remarks by claiming that he plans to continue the work he was doing on Project Veritas under a new name. “I’ll see where you can find me,” he told staff.