On Monday, James O’Keefe, former CEO of Project Veritas, departed from the undercover journalism organization he founded. According to Neil McCabe, of One America News Network, (OANN), a Project Veritas alumnus, reported that O’Keefe resigned from the undercover journalism outlet-
A spokesperson for Project Veritas, R.C. Maxwell, later wrote in a tweet challenging the accuracy of McCabe’s report that O’Keefe had been “removed from his position as CEO by the Project Veritas board”.
In February, O’Keefe was placed on a paid leave of absence, while an investigation by the organization’s board was effectively looking into his management decisions. O’Keefe was placed on administrative leave as a memo had leaked that employees were complaining and raising concerns about his behavior.
Following the composition of a memo composed by some 16 Project Veritas employees, accusing O’Keefe of abusive behavior towards them, the board conducted a review of O’Keefe’s continuance as head of the investigative journalism organization was in order.
O’Keefe’s staff wrote, that they were “troubled and frustrated” by his management style. It also claimed that, he would be “outright cruel” to his employees. This same memo, further claimed that O’Keefe engaged in berating behavior and “public crucifixions” of staff members.
Several benefactors, of Project Veritas’s, reportedly sent a cease and desist demand letter, to the organization’s board, following its placement of O’Keefe on paid leave. These entities characterized the removal of O’Keefe, as detrimental to Project Veritas’s fiduciary obligations, towards use of raised funds for the organization’s stated purposes.
This apparently, was intended to highlight benefactors emphasis on O’Keefe, in fundraising solicitations. O’Keefe’s departure from Project Veritas, as reported by The Post Millennial’s, noted that some conservative commentators wrote effectively that O’Keefe, was an indispensable person to the organization-
“After the 16 staffers sent the letter to the Project Veritas board of directors in early February, “James O’Keefe IS Project Veritas” began to trend on Twitter. Many supporters and donors all balked at the idea that Veritas could continue without O’Keefe at the helm and prominent conservatives gave their support for O’Keefe.”
- The Post Millennial
Issuing a statement, following O’Keefe’s departure, Project Veritas’s Board of Directors, alleged that “financial malfeasance” was discovered in its review of O’Keefe’s management of the organization. They claimed its priority, is good faith stewardship of donors’ money, towards the organization’s stated mission of investigating corruption. The board’s statement concluded-
“Even with all of this public fallout, the Board still wants to speak with James. We did not fire him, nor do we want him to resign. We would like to continue conversations with James to resolve internal matters rather than litigate them publicly.”
-Project Veritas’s Board of Directors
In a video of himself, rejecting many of the board’s claims against him, O’Keefe issued a final statement to Project Veritas’s employees. He shared.-
“I’ve been stripped of my authority as CEO and removed from the Board of Directors,”
- James O’Keefe, former CEO of Project Veritas
It sounds very much like some soul searching on the part of Mr. O’Keefe, as well as, investigation on the part of the
Project Veritas Board, is definitely in order. No organization that reports on corruption, can itself stand against the scrutiny of the press, if it is not itself, well governed and accountable without question. Whatever the situation, both sides should work together, to resolve any question or hint of corruption within its ranks, no matter who they are. Credibility, in this present-day environment, is everything.
“Each day I attempt to establish a conjugated ring of reasons to rise tomorrow. Each day I seek to engage in some audible act of faith reaffirming a spiritual warrior’s commitment to living. Each day when engaged in investigative writing, I seek to perform some testimonial act that will lead me towards achieving desirable, premeditated change. Each day that I dabble with writing a deliberative memoir requires a scathing examination of how I lived. It also demands scrupulous assessment of how I want to live the remainder of an unspooling life.”
-Kilroy J. Oldster